We at the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music have been looking for the right way to reach out to our supporters over these exceedingly troubled few months. As our world continually shifts, it has been difficult to imagine and voice plans for our future.
As we were grappling with our message (including the filming of the video below), the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked world-wide protests against violence toward our Black brothers and sisters, calling for much-needed systemic change.
We have been grieving the effects of COVID-19 and quarantine; we now feel the terrible weight of these tragedies in cities around the country – including Kalamazoo. We hear the protestors’ voices.
Our vision statement says: “The connecting power of music fosters mutual understanding and respect, and builds community harmony.”
We believe this more than ever, and we want our supporters to know we are looking for ways to continue this mission.
A video message from our Director
Our director Elizabeth Start filmed a short video with an update on our current thoughts regarding our 2020-21 Connecting Chords Music Festival:
- As of June 1, we are scheduling events for a Fall festival. Given the fluid nature of the situation, we are scheduling fewer events and focusing more on local/regional talent to give us more flexibility with scheduling.
- While we are still focused on live, in-person performances, we are exploring ways to pivot at least some of our events to virtual experiences if it becomes necessary. Our focus and energy, however, remain on live events.
- With a smaller Fall festival, we will be exploring events in January – May 2021 that coincide with monthly themes, and we will be collaborating with other organizations to present these performances.
- We’d love to hear from you! We’re seeking your input and ideas on what we can do to put together a great, safe, healing and relevant 2020-21 Festival. We’d also be curious if you’d like to participate in a video conference with other supporters. Please reach out to us at director@connectingchordsfestival.com and let us know your thoughts!
Thanks as always for your support. We look forward to hearing your input as we anticipate what the future holds.