Ottawa report - Canadian Music Competitions Inc

Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Spring, 1998 by Douglas Voice

The Ottawa chapter of CMC continues to be extremely active. Faced with the prospect of 45 students in the first elimination - nearly double the number of 1997 - and virtually no increase in the number of volunteers, it has found it necessary to re-structure the executive, assigning specific roles to each of the members with a particular interest in one aspect or another of the operations, thereby allowing them to contribute immeasurably to the success of the chapter, even though they may not be able to attend meetings regularly.

Fundraising, of course, has been the main thrust. Concerts and raffles and, most recently, the sale of T-shirts designed by professional graphic designer and former president Steve Brenninkmeyer, continue to increase our assets for the short term. In addition to the work being done by the two Directors of Fundraising, Messrs. Brenninkmeyer and Gregory Shostakovsky, the chapter has received the kind help of Mssrs. Mark McQuitty and Bob Copeland of Charitable Alliance Corporation, a fundraising consultancy with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. They are working with the CMC to develop a strategic approach to raising funds, with immediate-term emphasis on securing corporate sponsorship. Some embassies continue to lend their invaluable support. Recitals in prestigious settings plus the unqualified goodwill of the ambassadors, their wives and their staff have made for some truly memorable evenings. During 'the past season, the embassies of Hungary, Austria and Italy have opened their elegant residences to the CMC, and others have expressed an interest in following suit. The performers have received valuable experience in playing in a salon setting for a discerning audience, many of whom have become regular 'subscribers'.

The Director-General, Louis D'Allaire, made a special trip to Ottawa in February, in part to increase the awareness among local chapters of the work being done at the National Office, and also to lend support to the chapter's plan to establish a bank of members by drawing from the parents and teachers of the competitors. While the plan may prove to be a hard sell, it may well be the salvation of our chapter, especially with regard to insuring the continuation of an informed executive.