Minutes of Harmonic Generation 1st Annual General Meeting
Monday, October 25, 2010
Nepean Creative Arts Centre, 7:45 pm to 10 pm
Present: Paul Jay, Vivian Melsness, Shannon Walker, Stephen Szabo, Janet Lo, LuAnn Cunliffe, Patty Gunderson, Carolyn Thompson, Jordan Charbonneau, Christian Laprade, Susan McKay, Laura Dufour
Agenda: Top of Form
Agenda:
- Debrief of the concert
- Summary of our financial situation (Shannon)
- Recruitment plans; need for a couple more male voices
- Plans for recording demo CD; repertoire choices
- Discussion re short term focus (eg until Christmas break)
- Discussion re longer term focus (rest of the year till eg June)
- Good time for another retreat?
- Discussion of the Policy document and how the group operates (you can download from the website)
- Role of the Planning Committee
- Overall vision/mandate for the group
- Marketing/website plans (Patty/Christian?)
- Communication mechanisms in the group (email/blog? phone tree for urgent responses? etc)
Bottom of Form
- Debrief of the concert
Positives: Great comments from family and friends. Several people from the audience enjoyed our performance and the charity was pleasantly surprised. The soundcheck truly helped – we sounded better at the performance.
Feedback from the audience: Audience had differing experiences depending on where they sat in the church. In the front, we had a more acoustic sound. The further back you went, the sound was muddier. This demonstrates the challenge of this particular venue.
Room for improvement: Acoustically, articulation of words was sometimes lost. First half of the set was better when the repertoire was mixed – more interesting for the audience. Important for the whole group to maintain focus throughout performance right to the last song! For future gigs, should have water at the gig. We should continue to practice these pieces in formation to develop muscle memory. It is important to note that using mikes will impact staging options. Mixing mikes and acoustic is a compromise and not ideal. We should practice our between-song announcements and speakers need to slow down.
- Summary of our financial situation (Shannon)
Everyone has paid his or her dues. The group is in good financial standing. We are awaiting payment from the Oct 23rd gig ($250 remuneration). In terms of assets, HG has 16 mikes, 16 cables, 8 stands with brackets. We also have a sound card and hard disk. All of our repertoire has been paid for. The website domain is paid for and owned.
- Recruitment plans; need for a couple more male voices
We continue to be in need of a low bass and a high tenor. We are also seeking VP talent. With the departure of Steve and Tom, we also need baritones. We have some baritones who have previously auditioned for the group so we may be able to call back a few of these candidates.
ACTION: All members to recruit male voices. Please circulate to friends and family and target individuals who may have broader musical networks in Ottawa that can assist us find excellent male voices!
- Plans for recording demo CD; repertoire choices
At the end of last year, we decided to record a few demo tracks. We spent spring getting ready to do the first recording. The songs we decided to record were: Breathless, We Be Doin’ It, Insomniac, Hide & Seek and O Canada. The first recording turned out disappointing results – some parts were not right and it would have taken several hours to correct these parts in the recording.
Our sound is now improving. Given the member changes within the group, we may need to pick new repertoire or a different combination of tracks for the demo.
Dylan Bell has agreed to help us with our recording with feedback and an edit mix for a flat fee of $250 per track. He is occupied until after Christmas.
Going forward, it is important to note that a demo recording takes an exceptional amount of focus and hard work. Preparation will take a lot of time and repetition. It is imperative that all parts are perfect as correction of these parts will take hours. Part of the challenge going forward will be dealing with turnover for the recording.
In the meantime, it is important to have something to put on our website. It was suggested that our YouTube videos from the concert be uploaded to the website.
- Discussion re short term focus (eg until Christmas break)
In the short term, some concerns were raised about focusing on Christmas music. This is especially difficult given our numbers and the shortage of male voices. Members expressed concerns about compromising on the quality and easiness of music – the group should still be challenged musically as this will be the only way we improve and attract new members of good caliber.
It was agreed that in the short term, the group would focus on 2-3 Christmas songs from last year so as to not drop Christmas from the radar.
- Discussion re longer term focus (rest of the year till eg June)
In the spring, we will resume focus on demo tracks one at a time with feedback from Dylan Bell.
The group agreed to strive for a spring concert in May. It was suggested that we could partner with a charity to gain an audience from their membership and to leverage their marketing abilities. For the spring concert, we will need to scope venues that can accommodate audiences of 100-300 people. Important questions to ask are: location of venue, capacity, whether sound is available and/or necessary, cost with and without sound, availability of parking, how soon we need to book.
ACTION: All HG members will send venue suggestions and parameters to Schven. Schven will track venue parameters in a database.
It would be useful to perform in senior homes as dress rehearsals for upcoming gigs.
Summer gig opportunities the group should pursue include Under the Bridge (in July) and busking on Sparks Street and in the market (will need to secure a permit).
- Good time for another retreat?
We would like to have another whole group retreat that would span a whole day. Suggestions for the time include: practice with our sound equipment, vocal percussion workshop, creative session or vocal “jamming”.
ACTION: Janet will request availability for a set of Sundays in February and March 2011. All HG members will respond with their availability and a date will be set ASAP.
- Discussion of the Policy document and how the group operates (you can download from the website)
The Policy Document is on the group website and all members are expected to have read it. Group members commented that the document is very formal and legalistic, which means that the expectations are clear. It was asked how closely the Policy Document is followed. In general, the Document is followed as much as possible and serves as a guidance and reminder of appropriate protocol within the group.
HG is still a young group and the rules will need to evolve as the group grows.
- Role of the Planning Committee
In recent weeks, there has been internal conflict within the Planning Committee. The Planning Committee should represent the group so it is most important for group members to voice their opinions to Committee members.
It was expressed that sometimes decision-making is frustrated because it is not clear to the full group that Planning Committee is meeting and members are not aware of the topics for discussion.
Going forward, where the Planning Committee is not able to make a decision because there is not enough feedback from the group, Committee decisions should be brought back to the group. The group asked that where discussion comes back to the full group, all angles of the discussion are represented.
For clarity, the members of the Planning Committee are: Paul, Shannon, Janet, Schven, and Christian.
- Overall vision/mandate for the group
Our group needs an expressed vision. This should reflect the expectations and inputs of the group. It was agreed that we want to perform at concerts and do gigs – this is the payoff of the learning experience.
ACTION: All members will email Paul their version of a “vision” for Harmonic Generation.
- Marketing/website plans (Patty/Christian?)
Harmonic Generation should have brochures with a price list for our gigs. The price list should also be posted on our website. The Planning Committee is examining our price list and the details should be finalized at our next meeting, at which point these details can be put on our website and marketing materials.
It was also suggested that we should have business cards for the group – which would be helpful for networking in relation to gigs and prospective vocalists.
One consideration for future: could Harmonic Generation benefit from a tagline?
Christian is taking over administration of the HG website. Christian requested that members with content send him photos, videos and contact information.
ACTION: All members to send Christian content for the website.
- Communication mechanisms in the group (email/blog? phone tree for urgent responses? etc)
For gig bookings, it is imperative that members respond to requests for availability immediately. A delayed response will jeopardize the booking as gigs are very competitive and agents will simply move on if they cannot secure confirmation.
ACTION: All members to send Janet their preferred method of contact for gig bookings.
Janet Lo October 25, 2010