SUPPORT & GIVING

“Your life and mine shall be valued not by what we take…but by what we give.”
Edgar Allen, Founder of Easterseals

Volunteering Sign-Up Form

Why Do We Need YOU!?

At Gwinnett Symphony, we are all about giving! Ever musician gives their musical talent and skills along with their time to rehearse and perform. The reality, however, is that it takes a whole lot more than just the music itself to keep providing beautiful performances for our community, not to mention music-education opportunities for our youth. We do not have paid staff to take care of all the business aspects of operating our organization ... we only stay in operation because of the love and devotion of our music directors, board members and wonderful volunteers who so graciously give of their time and talent ... in addition to, of course, our financial contributors. Without all of these we could not exist!

What we have been able to accomplish has always been and always will be limited only by the manpower (in the form of volunteers) and financial resources we have. As our organization has grown (a really good thing), the need for more resources, i.e. volunteers, has increased substantially but has not kept up with the growth.

For that reason, beyond providing us their musical talent, we hope and strongly encourage every GS member to contribute something of themselves in one or more of the MANY areas of volunteer need on the operations side of our endeavors, to help us keep on fulfilling our mission. We need and hope that every member of our organization will find their niche to serve in some way or another, and sign up to help in at least one area. We are also in NEED of volunteers who are NOT musical performers. These volunteers may be family members or friends of our musicians, or people from the community who love and want to support what we do.

We realize that time commitments vary greatly from one person to the next, and so do the jobs and activities that we need help with; there is something to fit nearly all situations and skill sets. Please read through the list of job descriptions, which also includes estimated time commitments, to find your place to help us in continuing to fulfill our mission.

Whoever you are and wherever you are, you have something to offer and we need you! Just fill out the volunteer form and give one to a friend to sign up, too! Thank you so much!

GSMAC Volunteer Jobs and Activities Descriptions - Spring 2017

Unless otherwise indicated, volunteer positions are open and welcome to *members of GS or any other interested person including musicians’ family members and friends, as well as our anyone from the community who would like to support our work through volunteering with us.

*Member means someone (usually a musician) who belongs to one of Gwinnett Symphony’s ensemble groups.
++ indicates a job or task that requires a non-member or a member who is not performing at the time needed
➢ indicates that only *members can act in this capacity
*> indicates that a *member-representative is required from each of the ensemble groups

Time commitment estimate indicator key
# = minimal; either a once-per-cycle/season occurrence, or a few short occurrences per cycle/season
## = moderate; may require several hours on an occasional basis such as for a specific event, or a moderate amount of time on a regular basis, such as regular meeting attendance and follow-up tasks
### = high impact; requires a significant amount of time on a regular basis with a strong commitment

Contact email addresses are listed at the end of this document.

GENERAL OPERATIONS

Development Team – i.e. Fund Raising (## to ###) led by Russ Sharpe
One of our most important committees, the Development Team, works to promote our organization to attract sponsors, donors and patrons. Obviously, Without adequate financial resources, we cannot operate! Ticket sales may, but often don't, produce enough revenue to even cover the costs of event-production, not to mention that most of our concerts are free. Therefore, all the other costs of operation, including our youth education program, must come from additional sources of revenue. The individuals on this team are responsible for making direct contacts with local businesses to develop relationships that will result in sponsors and donors for GSMAC. Promotional materials are provided, as well as guidance as needed. This team works in tandem with the Marketing Team and with the Board Treasurer.

Marketing Team (##) led by Alla Clancy
Another highly important and very active committee, the Marketing Team is responsible for promoting our events and our organization through various avenues of advertising/marketing, by identifying target audiences and then communicating with them about who we are and what we are doing. With at least one concert every month to promote, this team stays busy! They are also involved with creating and updating our promotional package which the Development Team and others use to promote GSMAC to potential sponsors and donors. Marketing on a very limited budget requires a lot of creativity!

Miscellaneous Fundraising (# to ##) managed by Shirley House, Board Treasurer
If you need questions answered or help figuring out what to do, Shirley is ready to help you with any of the following:
1. If you work for a company that sponsors and/or makes contributions to non-profit organizations, please consider seeking this funding for GSMAC through your company. (#)
2. If your company provides matching funds to non-profit organizations like GSMAC. (#)
3. If you are willing to help with ticket sales for our Infinite Energy concerts. (#)
4. If you are willing to make phone calls to offer program ads to local businesses. (# to ##)

Statistician (#) overseen by Alla Clancy
This position should be filled by someone who likes data analysis! He or she would work directly with the Marketing Team sorting the data from surveys collected as well as other data for analysis, sharing the results with the Marketing Team to use in developing marketing strategies.

++Photographer/s (# to ##) coordinated by Carmen Ezeta (for more information, contact Pam Cook)
Quality photographs and video clips are important to our organization for any number of reasons. The photographers should, if possible, have their own high resolution digital camera(s). We need pictures to be taken at all of our concerts - before, during and after - to capture the whole story. We need to have a photo record of rehearsals and other organization meetings and non-music activities. Our photographer/s can be musicians but not photographers during their own performances for obvious reasons. Refer to our website for the performance schedule and venues to determine when you could offer availability.

Staff Writers Coordinator (# to ##) (for more information, contact Pam Cook)
The coordinator works directly between the requesters of written materials, such as the Board Chair, committee leaders, program producers, etc., to coordinate the writing needs with the appropriate and available writer(s). The coordinator would proof all submissions to ensure the criteria have been met before sending the material to the requester.

Staff Writers Committee Members (# to ##) (for more information, contact Pam Cook)
These writers provide the content required for a wide variety of applications within our organization. Each is uniquely important! It almost goes without saying, but every writer should also be a good proofreader, so any of them could be called upon for proofreading as well as being utilized to proofread each others’ work. We are in need of skilled writers in the following areas:

• Grant writing
• Program blurbs and bios
• Press releases
• Promo materials
• Letters
• Newsletters – stories and news
• Creative writing, journaling
• Misc. communications
  

*>GSMAC Pictorial Directory helpers (#) editor, Jim Dean
Each ensemble group will need 1-2 helpers, depending upon size of the group, to ensure all the information and photos for their membership has been submitted to the editor.

Technology coordinated by Pam Cook
There are always needs for people who are Techies. In our case, we primarily need a Techie or two or are good with media software and editing video and audio files. Please let us know what your particular expertise is so we know who to call when we need help with your “department”.

Multicultural Committee (#) led by Carmen Ezeta
As we seek to expand our impact in Gwinnett County and beyond, connecting with target audiences and potential patrons and donors of different cultures and ethnicities within our community is imperative. This committee’s task is to provide insights and resources to achieve this goal. The committee meets periodically and works closely with the Marketing Team.

*>League of Levity and Merriment (#) very loosely led by Lynn Renshaw!; structure provided by Carmen Ezeta!
The first and only requirement for being part of this group is a fun-loving spirit!! We need at least one representative from each of the ensemble groups. The primary objective for this group is to bring joy, laughter and fun to the mundane in order to facilitate a greater sense of enjoyment and camaraderie among the members of our organization across the various ensemble groups. This should be done with some occasional “surprises” of levity and merriment (the group will figure out what that means and what and how to do it!). The only sizable task will be to plan the framework for a fun, family-inclusive event to culminate and celebrate the concert season in mid-late May.

*>Music Ensemble Manager (#-## varies by music director) (for more information, contact Jim Dean)
The Manager works to assist the Music Director of their ensemble group by serving as the coordinator for the Section Leaders. He or she will collect and compile the attendance records from the section leaders for the entire ensemble group each month and share them with the Music Director. He or she will work closely with the Music Librarian as may be needed. This role may also include other tasks as necessary or needed to assist the Music Director. He or she will also represent their ensemble group as liaison between the members and their Music Director as well as with the Board of Directors. We need Ensemble Managers for these groups: Orchestra, Chorus (Jim Dean), Chamber, Youth, Wind.

➢ Section Leaders and assistants (#) led by your Ensemble Manager
If desired by the Music Director, each section of an ensemble will have a section leader or two who will be responsible for keeping the attendance records for their section for all rehearsals and performances. They will also be responsible for communicating with absent members and turning in the attendance reports to the Ensemble Manager each week, as well as reporting any issues that might need the attention of the Music Director or Board.

Chorus Music Librarian and helpers (#-##) Chorus Librarian: Jim Dean ;
The music librarian and helpers are in charge of making copies (as needed), organizing, distributing, collecting and orderly storage of all sheet music. There is a large "one-time" project for chorus and orchestra helpers to work on together.

Orchestra Music Librarian and helpers (#-##) Orchestra Librarian: (??)
The music librarian and helpers are in charge of making copies (as needed), organizing, distributing, collecting and orderly storage of all sheet music. There is a large "one-time" project for chorus and orchestra helpers to work on together.

CONCERT PRODUCTION

++Concert Hosts (Lobby Promotions) (#) directed by Carmen Ezeta
We need from 3-6 Concert Hosts in the lobby area before every concert and also during intermission for IEC concerts. Since these volunteers cannot at the same time be performers for the concert, we especially need family members and GSMAC patrons to help us out with this, too.

Concert Hosts have a very important job: to promote our organization! Concert Hosts are the smiling faces of GSMAC to everyone who comes through the lobby. Engage! As a Host, your job is to make sure that our guests feel really special, welcomed and appreciated! Concert hosts are responsible for making sure that every adult who attends the concert has a program (these are marketing tools). This job may also include providing assistance as may be needed, ushering, distributing and collecting surveys and just being on the lookout for how to make our guests’ experience positively memorable.

Think of this as your opportunity to “sell” us, and the music we create, to each individual with whom you speak! A successful “sell” means more tickets sales and more potential patrons/donors which in turn means we get to keep doing what we love to do, performing wonderful music for them, a win/win, indeed!

Equipment Management and Transportation (#) led by Kent Wilson
Several people are needed from time to time in preparation for concerts or dress rehearsals that include the chorus, to set up and take down risers in the band room. For concerts at Infinite Energy Center, help is needed to load percussion instruments and other equipment onto the truck to be transported, and unloaded at IEC for those concerts. After the concerts, the procedure is reversed.

Infinite Energy Center Concert Decorating Crew (##) led by Lynn Renshaw and Cheri Lawson
On the day of a concert at Infinite Energy Center Theater (typically 2-3 times per concert season), this crew is in high gear! All decorations for the theater – stage, lobby and elsewhere - must be transported, unloaded, set up and then the process reversed immediately after the concert.

Gala Silent Auction Coordinator (##) (overseen by Carmen Ezeta)
From time to time GSMAC may include a fundraising gala in conjunction with an Infinite Energy Center concert. The Coordinator would plan, and be in charge of all responsibilities including the necessary arrangements and purchases as well as setting up and running the auction part at the event. The Coordinator would delegate responsibilities to the Silent Auction Helpers and oversee that work.

Silent Auction Helpers (#) led by the Silent Auction Coordinator
Assist the Coordinator with all of the tasks necessary for a successful event.

PLANNING AHEAD - 2017-2018 Concert Season

If you want to “claim” a job now or even start working ahead of time, here are some new volunteer positions that will be starting with our upcoming concert season.

Historian (##) (for more information, contact Pam Cook)
This is the perfect job for someone who is artsy and creative and loves to tell stories through photos and journaling. GS needs someone who is able to sort through tons of photos to select just the right few to put together in a “scrapbook” style journal to tell the story of each concert season. These photos, captions and journal commentary could and would also be used for promotional and marketing purposes and posted on our website.

*>Assistant Historians (#) (for more information, contact Pam Cook)
Each ensemble group needs to have their own assistant historian to ensure that photos and stories of their performances and activities are represented in the annual e-scrapbook. The assistant collects photos, newspaper clippings and writes journal entries that tell the story of their group’s year and submits all of that to the Historian.

Contact Emails:

Alla Clancy allaclancy@gmail.com
Pam Cook gwinnettsymphony@yahoo.com
Jim Dean hvacsage@yahoo.com
Carmen Ezeta carmens.new.adventure@gmail.com
Shirley House shirley.house@coldwellbankeratlanta.com
Lynn Renshaw redhedmusiclady@yahoo.com
Russ Sharpe rsharpe107@bellsouth.net
Kent Wilson sherrysfabrics@yahoo.com


Volunteering Sign-Up Form