I frequently hear from people that Interlochen is not visible enough. I agree. Promoting Camp, Academy, Pathfinder, public radio, the arts festival and adult education to such disparate audiences presents quite a marketing challenge.

That’s why increasing the visibility of Interlochen is a key strategic goal. We've reworked the Interlochen website, enhanced e-communications, hired new personnel in marketing and communications, and dramatically increased the marketing budget.

We've also renewed our commitment to national touring, which is the best statement of program quality and reputation, and clear evidence that we “practice what we preach.” The impact of touring reaches far beyond those who attend our performances.

As you'll read in our cover stories of this Crescendo, our renewed touring efforts continue a long history of outreach that began with the National High School Orchestra formed by founder Joe Maddy. We offered opportunities for both Camp and Academy students to travel this year, including orchestras and choirs, visual artists, organ and theatre. They performed in Arizona, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Detroit and other Michigan locales.

In each stop we were greeted by scores of alumni and friends, and assisted by our valued Admissions Ambassadors.

Did you miss word of these performances? If so then we likely do not have a current e-mail address on file for you. Although we mailed more than 20,000 postcards to alumni and friends for our Midwest Orchestra Tour, we relied heavily on e-mail, so that our friends could more easily invite others to a performance.

Regardless of where you live, you can help engage others on behalf of Interlochen by telling people you know about opportunities to see Interlochen in action. While Interlochen needs to be more visible, and we're working hard at it, we can't do this work alone.

And yes, touring requires a significant financial commitment. This year we invested more than $100,000, and we need to do more. Perhaps you can help us secure a venue for free or reduced cost. Perhaps your company would benefit from the exposure of underwriting a tour or performance. Or perhaps you'd like to make a personal gift in support of our efforts.

Touring allows the Interlochen network to truly mobilize. A Chicago resident who attends our summer concerts during his vacation in Michigan, after receiving our e-mail, helped us secure a live performance on the Chicago NBC affiliate to help promote our orchestra concert.

Perhaps more important than the tours and publicity is the word-of-mouth buzz that results from those who attend a performance. The value of those who speak about what we do is priceless, for they become the pebbles tossed into the pond, creating a ripple effect that will help others find this special place in northern Michigan, where art lives.

Jeffrey S. Kimpton
President