4.0. SR 08-23-1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARTS IN THE PARK, 1994 . The first "plus" of this concert season is that audiences, across the board, have been about twice the size of last year's audiences, with 100 to 250 people showing up for each concert. This is due first to the force of habit and reward: Remember that there is a concert on Sunday, have a good time. It is also due to the cooperation of Don Heizman at the Elk River Star News. I have continued to post and leave for distribution 500-600 homemade flyers every week, including to CAER to be put in grocery bags. About 1365 people have attended as of August 16, with three more concerts to go. I project attendance of about 1750, with the probablility of doubling that next year. Almost all of the concerts have been deemed "keepers" by me, if we can afford them in the future. I have evaluated them by attendance and audience reaction. I have received many remarks of praise and appreciation, from detailed rundowns of what was liked and why to a simple "Thank you" from a woman who walked by me as she left the concert. Why didn't I ask her for money in return? I have been asking for new members in my little speech before each concert, right after I credit the City of Elk River. Still, I feel it wrong to ask for money in such a way that anyone who comes to a "free" concert is embarrassed if he/she cannot pay. I know from my home experience as a child that people who cannot pay for tickets, transportation and the "right" clothes to wear to an arts event are just as capable of appreciating the event, and at least as much in need of it, as those to whom the cost of tickets, a nice car, and fine clothes are taken for granted. Also, in this day of "scams", a free concert at which you are asked to pay when you get there is just one more scam. e My concept of Arts in the Park (My favorite program although it was originated by my predecessor) is that it be place for all kinds of people to meet, wearing casual clothing, and have an artistic experience that refreshes them by temporarily taking them out of their perhaps humdrum lives. All concerts are suitable for the whole family, including babies in arms. (We have for two years had some regular concert attendees who are severely retarded and in wheelchairs.) Arts in the Park is also a program in which local musicians can get appreciation in the form of a good local audience, and in the form of a little pay - I and others ask them for enough "freebees" throughout the year. Among local performers in 1 993 have been the Elk River Community Band; the Elk River German Band; Bud Adams of Elk River with the Minnetonka Clippers, a barbershop chorus; in the Elk River Area Opry, the Lund Family (A local "opry" was Tim Lund's idea), Dick Gatzke, the country rock group Chances-R, and John Soderberg of Elk River with "Cousin Dad", his group that has played professionally in the Cities, but not here; Chances-R and two more locally-based rock groups in the Rock Concert; and the Foxy Trotters opening for D.R.U.M.P.A.C. on August 29. The one cancellation this year was due to a problem with a local brass group whose bass player cancelled out on them at the last minute. I am not sorry that I hired them - they were good last year; and they let me know in time so I could get out adequate notice of the cancellation. The money they would have gotten was saved for use elsewhere. My big moment of reward, at least so far, for Arts in the Park this year was at the Leroy Larson Scandinavian music concert: Among the concertgoers were three grizzled old men in striped bib overalls and denim caps, looking like the men that used to ride in railroad cabooses - hardly the "artsy" crowd. They definitely were not there by accident - when Larson called for requests, one of the men had one - a folk tune, probably from his long-ago childhood in the Old Country. This is an example of what I mean by bringing "The Arts" to Elk River. e