Summary of Survey Results
Please note that graphs, screen shots, and other refined formatting could not be reproduced on this site. The title page, table of contents, and date have also been removed. Furthermore, recommendations made based upon this information was submitted in a separate, and primarily oral, report.
Sources of Information
As has been the trend with previous surveys, print sources seem to be the most popular place to get information on upcoming events. In this case, The Inlander outweighed the Spokesman Review, but that could be partially due to the difference in wording where this survey asked for sources of information on concerts and events in general rather than specifying the Symphony’s concerts or events in the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox.
[Graph Withheld]
Word of mouth was also a popular source of information as well as e-mails from the Spokane Symphony. These two could be troublesome as it may be due to connections people had with the Symphony which would mean our sample is somewhat biased. Given the levels of attendance as well, it may be wise to continue surveying with a special emphasis on individuals who do not attend concerts and have no symphony connections.
Numbers were still very low for Yelp, Twitter, and CitySearch with Facebook not doing much better. Either people cannot find the Symphony on these sites don’t use the sites to for to find this type of information. In the later case, it may be a generational trend.
Other radio stations were listed including KZZU, 98.1, 106.9, KAGU, and KPBX. Other print sources included the Spokane Magazine local events list in the back, and Spokane CDA Living. Also, direct mail from the Spokane Symphony and Tickets West and at least one person was a season ticket holder who received information when the renewal forms came. And other sources listed were billboards and “the reader board at the Fox,” and “events attended by Symphony marketing staff (who do a GREAT job of promoting you!).”
Reach and Role of the SS/Fox
As was the case in the previous two surveys, the Spokane Symphony seems to have a firm image as a regional orchestra and building a sense of community remains a weak point. In this case, it might be wise to work first on building perceptions of community involvement before attempting to establish a national image. Since this was not too poorly ranked though, it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, at which point communications can be increased concerning any national events or programs the Symphony may be involved in.
[Graphs Withheld]
This message should be communicated probably through the Spokesman Review. Ideally, the events or programs would be noteworthy enough themselves that articles would be written without the Symphony’s prompting.
Concert Types (including summer and suggestions)
SuperPops concerts were the most popular amongst participants with Classics and Casual Classics following right behind. This trend continued with regards to the suggested summer concerts; therefore, Pops or major artists as well as outdoor classics or casual classics concerts would probably be the best way to draw new patrons in. [Graph Withheld]
Special or Holiday Concerts also ranked highly in the general category, and Alternative Music by the Symphony (outdoors) was noticeably popular amongst the summer suggestions. Comments made by participants tended to be suggestions for specific artists the Symphony might invite either for concerts at the Fox or to take part in the SuperPops series. [Graph Withheld]
Awareness of Educational Programs
Previous trends were continued in the results of this survey, as the distance learning and teacher’s resources were the least heard of amongst the educational programs. Given the nature of these programs, this is not surprising. Unless teachers or individuals be targeted for the distance learning program specifically are unaware of these programs, there is no need for concern. Again, Pre-concert lectures and school concerts have the highest levels of awareness in the community. Overall, the community was less aware of every program, so there might be some need for increased advertising of all programs.
[Graph Withheld]
Attendance and Factors Discouraging Attendance
A fairly significant number of respondents had attended concerts before, however most had attended two times or less. The reasons given for not attending were primarily ticket prices and a lack of information. [Graphs Withheld]
This suggests a need for increased advertising with an emphasis on affordability. The prices themselves probably do not need to be lowered, but the image of concerts being for the rich definitely needs to be addressed. This point was cited in both of the previous surveys and seems to be supported by the high number of respondents who cited prices.
Demographics
Ideally, more respondents who had never attended a concert before would be gathered to represent a more general community attitude and bring the total number of responses to this survey up. If the survey was continued, the goal should be to double the number of respondents to about 200 with special care given to finding individuals who have never attended and under the age of 50 and from outside Spokane. This would help identify what individuals in the total region are looking for in their concert experiences and finding a means of communicating with and encouraging attendance from younger generations.
[Graphs Withheld]
The reach of the Spokane Symphony does appear to be primarily regional as the bulk of responses were received from the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area. This could, however, be due to a disproportionate sample.
[Graph Withheld]
Almost half of respondents average above $75,000 in annual income, with the largest category being over $90,000. This is not quite proportional to Spokane in general, as the U.S. Census has identified the majority of the population averaging $10-75,000.
Letter of Inquiry to Serve as a Project Proposal
Please note that header, footer, and all contact information have been removed from this sample.
Dear [Name Withheld]:
Here at the Spokane Symphony, we pride ourselves on delivering experiences of artistic, cultural, and educational value to our community. We are always looking for ways in which to enhance our community though concerts and events, and especially those which put our predominantly Caucasian community in touch with other cultures. In the past, we have enjoyed putting on events with local tribes, schools, and guest artists to put on events that bring the community together or enhance the learning experience of K-12 students.
This year we would like to focus our attention on the modest but growing Hawaiian population in this region, and have therefore decided to coordinate a Hawaiian culture sharing event in which we bring together Hawaiian and Spokane area students for mutual enlightenment through a series of activities. In keeping with our mission statement, this project “seeks to engage new and/or underserved audiences [and to] stimulate enthusiasm for orchestral/instrumental music through music that represent[s] the diversity of cultures among us.” We believe that this event will further improve the cultural vitality and quality of life for both Hawaiian’s and school children in our community.
In the past, we have presented similar family concerts, and have found them to be nurturing, uplifting, and at times even life-changing for participants. For instance, in collaboration with the Spokane Tribe at Wellpinit, in 2008 we put on a community concert in which we inspired students and members of the community to take pride in heritage and connect with one another. The result was a sense of community and empowerment that completely shifted people’s perspectives. To quote the music teacher in Wellpinit, “Do you understand how hard it is to create a paradigm shift? But after all the teacher in-services we have attended and projects and mind-wrenching attempts to figure out how to make it happen – in the end it was music and the people from the symphony orchestra that did it.”
Addressing the Need for Culture, Community, and Education
According to the U.S. 2010 Census, 0.4% of the population in Spokane County is Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, yet very little recognition is given to this population or its rich cultural heritage. Furthermore, we perceive a real need to foster community involvement and encourage the younger generation especially in exploring other cultures. It is through such exploration and the sharing of culture and values that community ties are forged.
A study by the Institute for Community Development and the Arts found that involvement with the arts directly corresponds with higher grades, higher standardized test scores, increased community service and a lower drop-out rate. In a city where 1/3 of high school freshmen won’t graduate on time, any impact that we can make on the dropout rate is essential. Additionally, a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that “arts participation overwhelmingly correlates with positive individual and civic behaviors.” (The Arts and Civic Engagement, NEA, 2010) Specifically, the study found that people who attend performing arts events are twice as likely to participate in outdoor activities, 1.7 times more likely to exercise and 2.7 times more likely to volunteer in their community.
We believe that educating Spokane youth on another culture will enhance their lives and encourage a broader perspective on the world. We also believe that this increased understanding will improve the quality of life for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders living in the Spokane area by bringing to the forefront their admirable heritage and encouraging communication. Overall, the event will encourage a sense of community and generate bonds between students and mentors while drawing stronger connections between Spokane and the Hawaiian culture.
The Spokane Symphony
The Spokane Symphony has spent the past 66 years as the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the Inland Pacific Northwest. Originally incorporated in 1945 as the Spokane Philharmonic, it became the Spokane Symphony Society in 1962. A non-profit organization, the Spokane Symphony is governed by a 40-member volunteer Board of Trustees. The Symphony also enjoys the generous support of the more than 300-member Spokane Symphony Associates, the Orchestra's volunteer organization.
Today, the 70-piece professional orchestra performs for more than 150,000 listeners each season and provides a wide variety of exceptional educational experiences. The Symphony performed more than 60 concerts this past year, with the majority of these being held at the historical Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. We have an abiding commitment to programming for schools, young people and families, and therefore offer programs such as our Youth Exploration Series (Symphony YES!) and regularly perform community and educational concerts.
Specifically, the Symphony performs numerous educational and family-oriented programs including: performances and coaching by Symphony musicians in area public schools, a pre-concert series of informal discussions with guest artists, and free music education resources and concert tickets. The Spokane Symphony is also breaking new ground in the field of distance learning with their work using Internet2 which enables classrooms from almost anywhere to connect with educators and musicians working with the Symphony.
Project Partners
The groups and organizations involved in this festival will include the Pacific Islanders Association in Spokane, University Hawaiian Clubs (i.e. Gonzaga and Whitworth Universities), Spokane and Hawaii elementary school children, Wellpinit (Spokane Tribe) Drum Circle, Grant Elementary African Drummers and Dancers, Shadle Park High School Bagpipes, Rogers High School Steel Drums, Spokane Falls Community College World Drumming Group, and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. In addition, the Brothers Cazimero, an award winning Hawaiian renaissance and contemporary island musical group, will be invited to perform along side the Spokane Symphony Orchestra in our culminating event.
Hawaiian Cultural Festival
We are planning a series of culture sharing events involving different groups within our community and the Hawaiian Islands, with the main focus on introducing the Hawaiian culture to the Spokane community and culminating in a Spokane Symphony Concert with special guest artists, the Brothers Cazimero.
In the fall of 2011, members of the Pacific Islanders Association and University Hawaiian Clubs will share their culture (dance, language, and customs) with Spokane elementary students. Hawaiian Club students from Gonzaga University and possibly Whitworth University will act as mentors, meeting with students multiple times over the course of the school year and guiding them through the exploration of Hawaiian Culture.
In January or early February, we will connect these students with a class in Hawaii over Internet2 (real-time videoconferencing) to provide live interactions with peers living in a very different place. Spokane students come to the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox and interact with Hawaii students over the big screen at theater.
In February, students will be part of an event at Spokane Falls Community College, sharing (with assistance from their mentors) what they have learned with other groups including: Shadle Park High School bagpipes and dancers, Rogers High School steel drums, Ferris High School Hawaiian drumming, Spokane Falls Community College World Drumming group, and possibly others (such as a Native American Drum Circle or the Grant Elementary African Drummers and Dancers). This type of an event allows the students to not only share what they know, but to learn about other cultures in a highly engaging atmosphere.
On March 3rd, 2012, elementary school students and their mentors would come together once more in the lobby of the Fox Theater to share what they have learned about Hawaiian culture with the members of the Spokane community. Immediately following, the Spokane Symphony Orchestra would give a concert featuring the Brothers Cazimero, one of the most respected duos in the preservation and presentation of Hawaiian culture, and their accompanying dancers. This concluding event will give students and members of the community a chance to appreciate traditional Hawaiian music and dance.
Funding this Event
Expenses for this series of events will be minimal as a result of volunteer labor; however, when combined with the concert on March 3rd, we will total approximately $25,562. Of this, $8,570 will go to transportation, travel, and lodging for musicians with another $10,000 in guest artist fees. The remaining $6,992 amounts to rental fees for the hall and equipment, fees for technical, security, and usher services, as well as wages, taxes, and benefits for additional musicians. An additional $5,000-10,000 in marketing would also be necessary in order to help publicize the event.
This is where you can help. We would like to ask Alaska Airlines to help fund this project with a sum of $14,870. This would be used to cover guest artist fees, transportation, accommodations, and hospitality as well as shipping expenses. Your gift would be matched by the labor of our staff and volunteers, the volunteer assistance and involvement from clubs and organizations across Spokane, and the revenue generated from tickets sold for the final concert.
Please help us to make this event an unforgettable one. We would love to see the same sort of paradigm shift and community out pouring we have stimulated in the past happen again this coming year, but that will be impossible with assistance from donors like you. Together we can bring Spokane closer together, enrich the lives of elementary school children, and recognize an important segment of our community.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration!
Here at the Spokane Symphony, we pride ourselves on delivering experiences of artistic, cultural, and educational value to our community. We are always looking for ways in which to enhance our community though concerts and events, and especially those which put our predominantly Caucasian community in touch with other cultures. In the past, we have enjoyed putting on events with local tribes, schools, and guest artists to put on events that bring the community together or enhance the learning experience of K-12 students.
This year we would like to focus our attention on the modest but growing Hawaiian population in this region, and have therefore decided to coordinate a Hawaiian culture sharing event in which we bring together Hawaiian and Spokane area students for mutual enlightenment through a series of activities. In keeping with our mission statement, this project “seeks to engage new and/or underserved audiences [and to] stimulate enthusiasm for orchestral/instrumental music through music that represent[s] the diversity of cultures among us.” We believe that this event will further improve the cultural vitality and quality of life for both Hawaiian’s and school children in our community.
In the past, we have presented similar family concerts, and have found them to be nurturing, uplifting, and at times even life-changing for participants. For instance, in collaboration with the Spokane Tribe at Wellpinit, in 2008 we put on a community concert in which we inspired students and members of the community to take pride in heritage and connect with one another. The result was a sense of community and empowerment that completely shifted people’s perspectives. To quote the music teacher in Wellpinit, “Do you understand how hard it is to create a paradigm shift? But after all the teacher in-services we have attended and projects and mind-wrenching attempts to figure out how to make it happen – in the end it was music and the people from the symphony orchestra that did it.”
Addressing the Need for Culture, Community, and Education
According to the U.S. 2010 Census, 0.4% of the population in Spokane County is Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, yet very little recognition is given to this population or its rich cultural heritage. Furthermore, we perceive a real need to foster community involvement and encourage the younger generation especially in exploring other cultures. It is through such exploration and the sharing of culture and values that community ties are forged.
A study by the Institute for Community Development and the Arts found that involvement with the arts directly corresponds with higher grades, higher standardized test scores, increased community service and a lower drop-out rate. In a city where 1/3 of high school freshmen won’t graduate on time, any impact that we can make on the dropout rate is essential. Additionally, a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that “arts participation overwhelmingly correlates with positive individual and civic behaviors.” (The Arts and Civic Engagement, NEA, 2010) Specifically, the study found that people who attend performing arts events are twice as likely to participate in outdoor activities, 1.7 times more likely to exercise and 2.7 times more likely to volunteer in their community.
We believe that educating Spokane youth on another culture will enhance their lives and encourage a broader perspective on the world. We also believe that this increased understanding will improve the quality of life for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders living in the Spokane area by bringing to the forefront their admirable heritage and encouraging communication. Overall, the event will encourage a sense of community and generate bonds between students and mentors while drawing stronger connections between Spokane and the Hawaiian culture.
The Spokane Symphony
The Spokane Symphony has spent the past 66 years as the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the Inland Pacific Northwest. Originally incorporated in 1945 as the Spokane Philharmonic, it became the Spokane Symphony Society in 1962. A non-profit organization, the Spokane Symphony is governed by a 40-member volunteer Board of Trustees. The Symphony also enjoys the generous support of the more than 300-member Spokane Symphony Associates, the Orchestra's volunteer organization.
Today, the 70-piece professional orchestra performs for more than 150,000 listeners each season and provides a wide variety of exceptional educational experiences. The Symphony performed more than 60 concerts this past year, with the majority of these being held at the historical Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. We have an abiding commitment to programming for schools, young people and families, and therefore offer programs such as our Youth Exploration Series (Symphony YES!) and regularly perform community and educational concerts.
Specifically, the Symphony performs numerous educational and family-oriented programs including: performances and coaching by Symphony musicians in area public schools, a pre-concert series of informal discussions with guest artists, and free music education resources and concert tickets. The Spokane Symphony is also breaking new ground in the field of distance learning with their work using Internet2 which enables classrooms from almost anywhere to connect with educators and musicians working with the Symphony.
Project Partners
The groups and organizations involved in this festival will include the Pacific Islanders Association in Spokane, University Hawaiian Clubs (i.e. Gonzaga and Whitworth Universities), Spokane and Hawaii elementary school children, Wellpinit (Spokane Tribe) Drum Circle, Grant Elementary African Drummers and Dancers, Shadle Park High School Bagpipes, Rogers High School Steel Drums, Spokane Falls Community College World Drumming Group, and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. In addition, the Brothers Cazimero, an award winning Hawaiian renaissance and contemporary island musical group, will be invited to perform along side the Spokane Symphony Orchestra in our culminating event.
Hawaiian Cultural Festival
We are planning a series of culture sharing events involving different groups within our community and the Hawaiian Islands, with the main focus on introducing the Hawaiian culture to the Spokane community and culminating in a Spokane Symphony Concert with special guest artists, the Brothers Cazimero.
In the fall of 2011, members of the Pacific Islanders Association and University Hawaiian Clubs will share their culture (dance, language, and customs) with Spokane elementary students. Hawaiian Club students from Gonzaga University and possibly Whitworth University will act as mentors, meeting with students multiple times over the course of the school year and guiding them through the exploration of Hawaiian Culture.
In January or early February, we will connect these students with a class in Hawaii over Internet2 (real-time videoconferencing) to provide live interactions with peers living in a very different place. Spokane students come to the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox and interact with Hawaii students over the big screen at theater.
In February, students will be part of an event at Spokane Falls Community College, sharing (with assistance from their mentors) what they have learned with other groups including: Shadle Park High School bagpipes and dancers, Rogers High School steel drums, Ferris High School Hawaiian drumming, Spokane Falls Community College World Drumming group, and possibly others (such as a Native American Drum Circle or the Grant Elementary African Drummers and Dancers). This type of an event allows the students to not only share what they know, but to learn about other cultures in a highly engaging atmosphere.
On March 3rd, 2012, elementary school students and their mentors would come together once more in the lobby of the Fox Theater to share what they have learned about Hawaiian culture with the members of the Spokane community. Immediately following, the Spokane Symphony Orchestra would give a concert featuring the Brothers Cazimero, one of the most respected duos in the preservation and presentation of Hawaiian culture, and their accompanying dancers. This concluding event will give students and members of the community a chance to appreciate traditional Hawaiian music and dance.
Funding this Event
Expenses for this series of events will be minimal as a result of volunteer labor; however, when combined with the concert on March 3rd, we will total approximately $25,562. Of this, $8,570 will go to transportation, travel, and lodging for musicians with another $10,000 in guest artist fees. The remaining $6,992 amounts to rental fees for the hall and equipment, fees for technical, security, and usher services, as well as wages, taxes, and benefits for additional musicians. An additional $5,000-10,000 in marketing would also be necessary in order to help publicize the event.
This is where you can help. We would like to ask Alaska Airlines to help fund this project with a sum of $14,870. This would be used to cover guest artist fees, transportation, accommodations, and hospitality as well as shipping expenses. Your gift would be matched by the labor of our staff and volunteers, the volunteer assistance and involvement from clubs and organizations across Spokane, and the revenue generated from tickets sold for the final concert.
Please help us to make this event an unforgettable one. We would love to see the same sort of paradigm shift and community out pouring we have stimulated in the past happen again this coming year, but that will be impossible with assistance from donors like you. Together we can bring Spokane closer together, enrich the lives of elementary school children, and recognize an important segment of our community.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration!