ATOS President Blog 2008
I AM PUTTING MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS!
Greetings from St. Petersburg, FL, just prior to a week-long trip that includes stops in the LA/Orange County area and in Phoenix for the Desert Winds event.
In terms of my headline, I recently suggested that our membership numbers might increase if we were to think about buying a membership as a gift for a friend. I did just that just before I started typing this blog. My trumpet-playing friend and his wife, Skip and Cathy Stine, are now ATOS members for 2009. Skip and I have done several concerts together and are putting the finishing touches to our second recording together. He met his wife Cathy Chemi when they were both working for Harry James (Skip on trumpet, Cathy as the “girl singer”).
The story gets better, at least in theatre organ circles. Cathy’s mother played the Wurlitzer organ at the theatres in the 1920’s. So, I figured what better candidates for ATOS membership than these two.
And I will do this again at least twice more, in my effort to bring folks into the fold.
I strongly suggest that you folks out there might have friends, family, co-workers, people you deal with involved with other organizations, or perhaps a church organist friend, who might appreciate a year’s membership. And, they might enjoy it so much, they join a local chapter and continue their membership for years.
This is the kind of grass-roots effort it will take by all of us to help turn our membership numbers around. And just one-at-a-time could make a significant difference two years ahead.
Speaking of membership, a recent trip found me recording in Wilmington, DE, and I am thrilled to tell you that Bob Dilworth and his band of stalwarts at the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society are indeed starting a new ATOS chapter based there in Wilmington. This is very exciting news, as arguably the strongest of the independent theatre organ groups is starting its very own chapter. Congratulations, and thanks Bob Dilworth for your faith in ATOS and a new commitment to our organization. This is a great day for ATOS!
Meanwhile, that stop was part of an exhausting trip that found me in Carversville, PA; Newark, NJ; Wilmington, DE; Richmond, VA; Thurmont, MD; Washington, DC; New York City, and back to Newark for the flight home to Florida…all in eight days. We met with a lot of individuals who could have significant impact on ATOS in both the long term and the short term. I also met with officials at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond to get the first-hand report on the resurgence of interest in VTOS, the local chapter, and the work being discussed for the historic Byrd Theatre Wurlitzer. It was a most successful trip on many fronts.
We continue to work on fund-raising, the touring show concept, corporate sponsorships, and marketing and promotions to begin charting a course that can move ATOS in a stronger direction in terms of exposure, education and performance.
Allen Miller continues his efforts toward establishing ATOS’ third “camp-like” endeavor. We have the Summer Youth Camp for young organists; we added the Adult Getaway for our “older” amateur players; and now Allen is laying the foundation for a new “technical” event that will hopefully help both amateur installers and professional organ technicians learn more about the right way to approach installation matters on theatre pipe organs.
This is a very exciting endeavor, and a most crucial one. For years, we have continued to generate new organists, witness the emergence of talent like Mark Herman, Donnie Rankin, Jonathan Ortloff and Eric Fricke, to name just a few.
But of growing concern is the dearth of qualified technicians to install new organs and keep our existing organs in top-notch condition. The Allen Miller’s, Ken Crome’s, Carlton Smith’s, Ed Stout’s, Ed Zollman’s, Terry Kleven’s and others will need to see a new generation of qualified technicians to fill their most competent shoes (and pardon me for not including Jeff Weiler, Grahame Davis, Kyle Irwin and others worthy of mention), unless they all expect to work hard at their craft well into their 80’s!!
We all get excited and love to hear about the new players. But they will have nothing to play on if we don’t work hard, STARTING NOW, to generate new technicians, and create opportunities for those technicians to EARN A LIVING as fine artisans and craftsmen working in the realm of the theatre pipe organ.
Thus, our efforts to get Allen Miller’s new program underway. This website and Theatre Organ will have ongoing information in the future.
Meanwhile, I will be packing my bags once again drumming up support, interest and enthusiasm for the art form we so dearly love.
Have a great holiday season, and we will chat in this forum again soon.
Ken Double November 23, 2008
Greetings from the cubicle known as my office space in St. Petersburg, FL, where on this Friday afternoon, it’s about 85 degrees, humid, and sunshiny for now. However, one thing I learned about the Tampa Bay area is this is the thunder and lightning capital of the world. I expect it will be raining by about 4:00 pm.
Odd that I titled this “Tales from the Road” while I type at the computer at home. But, just so you know, I am going to be burning up a trail from home to the Tampa airport in the coming weeks.
Last weekend, I attended the unveiling of the new installation of the Wonder Morton organ in Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, NJ. It was a great weekend, and congratulations to the Garden State Chapter, Bob Martin and his crew, and all involved.
In the coming weeks, I have trips to Pittsburgh; Ogden and Salt Lake City, UT; Los Angeles; Phoenix for Desert Winds; Foxburg and Erie, PA; Cleveland, OH; Boca Raton, Orlando and Miami, FL; Boston and Groton, MA; Wilmington, DE; and finally, Las Vegas for the Mid-Year meetings right after January 1, 2009. These trips include both concert and recording work, but more importantly they are also aimed at getting in front of key people who are stepping up to help ATOS.
With regards to Las Vegas, before you start accusing your Board of Directors of gambling with ATOS dollars, understand two things. The past two Mid-Year meetings took place in the frigid cold of Chicago. We vowed that there is no need to ever do that again. Las Vegas makes sense for one big reason: Phil Maloof and his growing collection of pipe organs. Phil will be hosting the Board one evening during our visit out there, and we look forward to that very much.
Also while in Las Vegas, the new Fund Raising Committee, headed up by Dr. Marie Jureit and Dr. Karl Saunders will be meeting and discussing strategy, operation and execution. More on this in the pages of Theatre Organ Journal.
Meanwhile, what’s new and exciting? More on the secondary education front as the University of Oklahoma, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and the University of Michigan all continue their efforts to add theatre organ studies to the music department curriculum. This is a very exciting, slow-going, but making-progress-process that bodes well for ATOS and the music and art of the theatre organ.
Several Board members are involved in important programs. John DeMajo is working with Tom Blackwell on the major upgrades to the website; John Apple along with Atlanta Chapter member John McCall are taking the first steps with a new Membership Drive that will hopefully begin to increase numbers for ATOS; and Allen Miller is working on plans for a Technical Camp, which will begin the step-by-step process of training new technicians on the proper methods of caring for and installing theatre pipe organs.
All three of these new initiatives are vitally important when we begin to talk about the future of ATOS.
For you ATOS members, in good standing for at least two years, who are reading this blog, I hope some of this news is exciting for you. Exciting enough to make you ask the question, “Maybe I should get off my duff and get involved??”
If you have a passion for the theatre organ; if you have skills in business, marketing, sales, music; if you have a lifetime of achievements that bring your experiences to the fore and for the benefit of the organization, run for the Board or tell us of your specific area of expertise and we will put you to work on one of our committees.
There are great things going on. There is so much work to be done. And this very successful Board cannot do it alone, nor will they be on the Board forever. We need the next crop of excited, committed, talented and passionate ATOS members to step up and be counted.
Take care. Bring a new member into the fold. Buy a membership for a friend as a gift. Help your local chapter. Get involved. And plan on attending both Cleveland for the Western Reserve Chapter’s Annual Convention in July; and Birmingham’s Regional Convention hosted by the Alabama Chapter in November.
We’ll blog again soon!!
Ken Double October 10, 2008
Ken Double’s Blog – or – This is a good way to spend time while at the airport!
I am winging my way back to Florida after an 11-day trip into Indiana and New York State. This trip accomplished several things. First, I performed at the Grande Barton organ at the Warren Performing Arts Center in Indianapolis, and then had the chance to play the Forum Theatre 4m Robert Morton organ in Binghamton, NY. I always enjoy playing the Barton – a truly great sound in that hall; and thoroughly enjoyed my first opportunity to play the Morton.
Congrats to Paul Stapel, one of the real “worker bees” of the Binghamton Theatre Organ Society, and we sure could all learn from his efforts. I was on all three local TV stations’ newscasts, did two live radio interviews, and Paul’s publicity efforts helped to draw a sizeable crowd. There is no magic secret here. He works hard to establish relationships with station management; he buys some advertising blocks on three stations; and pounds the pavement to get the news directors to respond to his request for interviews. He has an advantage in being in a smaller market – this is tougher to do in big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. But it comes down to relationships and elbow grease. And for Paul, it pays off big time.
On a personal note, my trip generated solid response in our efforts to raise funds to repair the Long Center Wurlitzer in Lafayette, IN. Water damage has rendered the Main Chamber unplayable, and our independent organization, the LCTOS, has started its campaign to raise $50,000. Meanwhile, we are working on two programming ideas outside of Long Center to keep our concert series alive at other venues while we work on the Wurlitzer. One potential avenue is fantastically exciting in terms of exposure and marketing, and could provide a major shot-in-the-arm to an organization that needs it. More on this when our plans are solidified, because these ideas could be pursued by ATOS chapters elsewhere.
I will also have more to report very soon on my first efforts at major corporate sponsorship for ATOS. The trip to Indianapolis provided an opportunity to meet with Ray Compton of Compton Associates, who is working with ATOS as an unpaid consultant. (Many at the convention heard Ray speak at a seminar.) We met to discuss a new logo and new look for ATOS. And he arranged a meeting with two banking officials which could lead to a first corporate sponsorship/partnership arrangement for ATOS. The first, I might add, of hopefully many. I will report on these details as we finalize the deal.
So, some concerts, some business, some fund-raising, GREAT weather, particularly in New York where it was Chamber-of-Commerce sunny and 70 degrees everyday, all made for a great trip.
One final note, and an important one. As President/CEO, and now in a paid staff position, I find myself at times conflicted about the opportunity to perform concerts at certain times. In this position, I have a distinct advantage in terms of marketing myself as a performing artist. This advantage could clearly and understandably be interpreted by some as a “conflict of interest.” To that end, two different opportunities were presented to me recently, and I reacted in two distinctly different ways, for two reasons.
The Alabama Chapter is hosting a Regional convention in the Fall of 2009 in Birmingham. They asked me to perform one of the concerts, and I respectfully declined. This is an ATOS co-sponsored event, and I feel that in the position I hold, it would be easy for me to accept every concert offer out there. When the organization is directly involved in the events, i.e. annual and regional conventions, and our new touring show production, I feel it is in the best interests of the organization and the other performing artists, that I decline invitations to play.
Meanwhile, I was invited to perform at the Desert Winds event at Thanksgiving time in Phoenix. I accepted this invitation. First and foremost, this is NOT an ATOS-sponsored event, thus the conflict of interest is not so apparent. Second, I was going to be at the event anyway to represent ATOS. Third, this particular performance on Saturday night was only recently added to the schedule due to the completion of the work on the organ to be presented. Thus, the last-minute nature of the request demanded a quick answer.
It is important for the membership and the Board of Directors to know that I am cognizant of the position I am in as President and CEO, and attempting to work in the best interests of ATOS, and not in my own personal interests.
Stay tuned, as there is more to come. Bring new members to ATOS. It vital to the growth of the organization, and, it adds to the FUN!!!
Will check back here soon.
Your blogging correspondent, Ken Double
(September 20, 2008) Ken Double
Greetings ATOS’rs and theatre organ fans who have found our website and this new addition.
As I write, we are celebrating the Labor Day weekend in America, which includes the holiday Monday. Not for me. I am “laboring” and happy to do so. This is the first official day of my new job as the newly-hired President and CEO of the American Theatre Organ Society. And I am excited to be attacking the business of ATOS on a full-time basis now everyday.
This “blog” (I’ve never been a “blogger” before) will focus on random thoughts running through my head, be it something new we are working on at ATOS, an experience in my travels, or whatever comes to mind. Some of it might be silly. Hopefully, there will be some kind of serious message as part of each of these blogs, as well.
For the record, I moved from Houston, TX to St. Petersburg, FL on June 15-16. I was here in my new home all of 11 days and then flew to Kansas City for a concert. Returned home for two days and then flew to the convention. After the banquet, I went to Chicago and began the five week trip through Australia. I returned home for two days, enough time to open mail, do laundry, drop off and pick up dry cleaning, etc., and then leave for a week in Los Angeles. Thus, as of Labor Day, St. Petersburg has been the address of record for 78 days, of which I have been here for a total of 21. When asked “How do you like living in Florida?” my response is usually, “Ask me at Christmas, after I have actually lived in Florida for a while.”
My trip to Los Angeles included three concerts at the Nethercutt Collection on the gargantuan Wurlitzer organ there. What J. B. Nethercutt put in place now 35 years ago and more is truly amazing. Under the watchful eye and guidance of new Hall of Fame member Gordon Belt, and now being directed by Kyle Irwin, it is amazing to contemplate how many people have been introduced to the theatre organ via the wonders of the Nethercutt Collection.
Quick math: six scheduled concerts a year with three performances each, an average of 250+ at each concert means more than 200,000 people have heard the best of our business perform. That’s more than 200,000 people who did not pay the first nickel to experience the wonders of the Mighty Theatre Organ. And this does not include the millions who have heard the organ on the open-to-the-public tours of the cars, collectibles, and other wonders of the Nethercutt Collection. and, most of these people walked in not at all familiar with the theatre pipe organ. Virgins, in a word. What a wonderful way to introduce the general public to the music we love.
There are concert series such as Dickinson in Wilmington, DE and the Rochester Theatre Organ Society in New York who have a long track record of producing shows and drawing crowds. But what makes the Nethercutt/San Sylmar history worth noting is the fact it is free to the public to enjoy because J. B. Nethercutt, in his infinite wisdom and with a seemingly infinite pocketbook, felt it was important and the right thing to do.
One can find a piece of theatre organ “Mecca” (or perhaps “Heaven” would be much more appropriate in this day and age), in places such as Wichita, KS and in Barrington, IL, even Hollywood, Las Vegas and points beyond depending on one’s particular tastes and point of view. Certainly, a slice of that magic place is just off Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles where the Merle Norman Cosmetics company does business, and that business helped to create the Nethercutt Collection. Amazing stuff.
Chat at ya soon.
Ken Double August 31, 2008 St. Petersburg, FL
(September 4, 2008) Ken Double