Dear CHAMPS Parents:
Congratulations on your child’s participation in our Chamber Music in Public Schools (CHAMPS) program this school year! We trust your young musician is gearing up for an enjoyable and instructive experience.
CHAMPS is the education arm of Salon Concerts Inc. As a non-profit chamber music organization, we perform chamber music in private homes around Austin – chamber music as it is meant to be heard. As the new director of CHAMPS, I hope to nurture and build this wonderful program that Robert Rudié envisioned and developed over the past 15 years.
I have high hopes of expanding to as many schools as we can, coaching ensembles in every orchestra class period. As we re-examine the program, looking at what is emphasized, I felt it important to highlight a few expectations that we have for participating students:
- Students must attend one of Salon Concerts’ Tuesday night free performances or equivalent chamber music concert per school year. (to be recorded on our website)
- Students must participate once a semester in an outreach performance either at events organized through CHAMPS or privately by the student.
- Students will be expected to participate in the two end-of-semester recitals in late January and May. (dates and places to be announced)
For many years Salon Concerts Inc. has provided CHAMPS completely free of charge to participating students and schools. Your young musician receives many hours of chamber music coaching – a service that would be quite expensive if purchased privately – at no cost. Thanks to government, foundation, and private support, we still provide free CHAMPS instruction. However, there are other CHAMPS expenses besides instruction. Music must be purchased periodically, and CHAMPS coaches use their own vehicles.
In the past, Salon Concerts has absorbed those expenses, but last year the board of directors determined that we cannot continue to do so and keep the organization financially healthy. For that reason, we have instituted a modest “music fee” of $50 per semester, or $100 per year, for each CHAMPS participant. We trust you’ll agree that this fee is very nominal for the valuable instruction and performance opportunities your child receives through CHAMPS.
You may pay this fee over our website below or send a check through the mail. For mailed payments, please remit $50 (or $100, if you wish to pay for the full year) by check to:
Salon Concerts, Inc.
PO Box 163501
Austin TX 78716
Be sure to note that your payment is for the CHAMPS fee for your student.
We also invite you to support the CHAMPS program in other ways. This can be accomplished in the following ways:
- Represent your child’s school on the CHAMPS Parent Advisory Committee, now forming. Please contact me for more information.
- Assist at one or both of this year's CHAMPS concerts. These concerts, open to the public, showcase the ensembles’ talent and progress in chamber music performance. We need help with stage management and post-concert refreshments. Please contact me for more information.
- Make a donation to the CHAMPS program in addition to the music fee. Your support is vital to the program’s financial health!
- Attend a Salon Concerts performance. Ticket proceeds go toward supporting the CHAMPS program.
- Attend the spring 2009 CHAMPS fundraiser in the Spring. This event is another important source of support for the program, and its success depends on good attendance, ticket sales and spirited bidding in the silent auction.
Again, congratulations on your child’s participation in CHAMPS.
Please let me know if there are any questions that I may answer for you. The more contact and involvement we have from parents the better our program becomes. I look forward to hearing from all of you. By the way, if you have not already done so, please fill out the Student Information Form below.
Best wishes,
Jephta Bernstein
CHAMPS Director
Board of Directors
Chair,
CHAMPS Committee
Student Info
CHAMPS Fees and Donations
Here you can pay your yearly or per-semester CHAMPS Fees as well as make additional donations to the CHAMPS program! Please contact me if you have any questions or issues.
CHAMPS Fee/Contribution |
Make a tax-deductible donation to CHAMPS! |
To make a recurring payment, billed every 6 months, choose this option. |