prez sez may 2026 Edition
By Terry Rogers
The April concert was another really fine afternoon of wonderful traditional jazz brought to us by Alex Guilbert as leader of his Stampede Seven. Great tunes, very well played by outstanding musicians. It was cool that some of the musicians haven’t been with us for a while, and there were two who were making their first appearance at the PSTJS, including a left-handed banjo/guitar player. Yay!
Attendance was good, but I can’t help thinking that there are so many people, listeners and dancers alike, who would have attended if only they were aware of our monthly meetings. Your board has been addressing this issue very directly, not only because of wanting to spread the word of our music, but for another more basic reason: How do we sustain this organization and prevent it from becoming extinct?
The most obvious change has been to our website. We have been bringing it up to date, making it more timely and accurate, polishing its appearance and expanding its relevance so that people looking for jazz in this area will find our website as the resource to count on when they check the Internet for relevant information about this music.
The board is also in discussion about finances. We routinely lose money on each monthly meeting. The amount varies, depending on attendance. This obviously is not sustainable. If we continued on without changes, we would need to shut down in two or three years, and none of us want that to happen. The answer to more revenue is two fold: increase the number of members and event attendees, and/or increase event ticket prices. I think that the most likely solution will encompass some of each.
The website and marketing will be aimed at new members, particularly the swing dancing community, and others who are drawn to jazz music. As for pricing and fees, there is a small committee of the board that has accepted the challenge of presenting to the whole board proposals that are aimed at enticing new members to join by means of levels of membership that are accompanied by incentives. This might look something like combining annual dues with event tickets for the year, or providing t-shirts with our logo. There are many possibilities, and if you have any suggestions along this line, please let one of the board members know. The board is also considering raising ticket prices for the events. It may be time to do that.
Lastly, I am happy to report that starting with the May concert, we will be able to process credit/debit cards at the door, and even be able to include raffle ticket purchases if you are so inclined. Progress!
See you then!
