FAB!
The Fine Arts Boosters are at it again! This small group of parents and teachers are busy raising money to support the talented students of the West Liberty Community School District.
The Index had an opportunity to catch up with Boosters Linley Heath, Colleen Randolph, and Lynne Zeman.
Fine Arts Boosters member Linley Heath explained why the Boosters are so vital to a successful Fine Arts Program, which includes the bands, choirs, show choir, plays, musicals, and all the other fine arts programs.
“We support music programs and theater, which really does cover quite a bit,” Heath explained. “It’s a lot to support.”
Treasurer Lynne Zeman keeps track of the Boosters’ accounts.
“We buy instruments, and we help supplement grants,” Zeman said. “There’s always more stuff that we could get to help expand it, vast numbers of instruments needing replaced…the school can’t keep up with those kinds of things.” Instruments alone can get expensive, and they must be maintained as well.
“And it’s super important so that all kids who want to be in band can be,” Randolph said.
“Often what we do,” Zeman explained, “is when the band gets new instruments, whether from us or from a grant, then the better of our old ones get sent down to the Middle School because theirs are often even older.”
Music and theater equipment can get pretty expensive, and the Fine Arts Boosters don’t have some of the same methods as the Athletic Boosters.
Where a football game has a ticket fee, the band and choir concerts do not. The plays and musicals may charge for tickets, but most of the entertainment provided by the student actors and musicians is on display free of charge, or for a free will donation.
The cost of running an effective Fine Arts program is significant, with many hidden costs that most parents wouldn’t expect.
“For example,” Heath said, “show choir fees in some schools can be hundreds of dollars, and so we want to try to offset the cost of things like show choir fees and even band fees.”
Putting on a play has a high price as well. First, the theater department needs to pay for the right to perform the play, and performance rights alone can be upwards of $1,000 per night.
“If it’s a musical,” Heath explained, “you also separately have to pay for the music.”
Each actor’s script has to be purchased individually, no photocopying allowed, and every costume for every student must be purchased, rented, or sewn.
Naturally, scenery and props will have to be built and lighting can get expensive. That’s the bare minimum of the expense of putting on a play.
“And that’s where we, as the Boosters, try to come in,” Randolph said. “We try to make up for any shortfalls…we have a lot of community support, but we also have some really dedicated teachers. They put way more into the programs than could even be asked of them.”
These ambitious parents and teachers are busy working year-round to raise the kind of money needed to put a play on the stage and to replace a bunch of tubas. The needs are continually being assessed.
Linley Heath feels grateful for the new blood among the Fine Arts Boosters.
“I think that there are a lot of moms that are very well-organized,” Heath said, adding that the boosters are especially grateful to “Jessica Madsen, who’s very much on the ball.” Madsen is the President of the Fine Arts Boosters.
One of the things these Boosters have organized was getting volunteers to sell concessions at Kinnick Stadium during Hawkeye football games.
Anyone is welcome to help, you don’t have to be a parent of a fine arts kid, you just have to be willing to stay on your feet during your free visit to Kinnick.
The Fine Arts Boosters did well selling concessions when RAGBRAI came through town last summer. According to Booster Colleen Randolph, one ambitious person gets all the credit.
“That was Mary Jo Lugo,” Randolph said, “she organized that.”
The yearly holiday greenery program is a staple in the budget as well, especially with the City of West Liberty being a major customer of the wreaths and garlands.
In spite of all their success, more is still needed. The marching band field shows have to be written and often must be tailored to suit the band.
New equipment and new permissions must be constantly purchased. Sometimes, like last year when the jazz band went to State, a bus suddenly needs to be rented.
“One thing that we’ve been talking about is a sound shell,” Heath said, “like every other high school has.” A sound shell is designed to help project the music toward the audience rather than losing the sound in the rafters and curtains of the large auditorium.
“The Booster meetings are open to anybody who wants to come,” Randolph said. “The second Tuesday of every month.” Those meetings happen at 6 p.m. and are usually held in either the band room or the choir room. The Boosters often need to plan on organizing volunteers to bring snacks to musical rehearsals and provide water for marching band rehearsals, which can be quite long and tiring.
“Those kids work really, really hard,” Randolph said, “and the kids are doing exceptionally well this year.” The jazz band and show choir both got top rankings at state, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
“The talent is there, their work is there, they just need us to support them as much as possible,” Randolph said.
“I do want to point out that we’ve had tremendous support from the community,” Heath mentioned.
She pointed out the success of the Comet Gala as well as the donation of a grand piano. The Aquarius Club has been a big donor this year, and the Fine Arts Boosters are deeply grateful for that support.
The next big event the Fine Arts Boosters are planning will be “A Night of Nites,” presented by the music and drama departments.
The evening will feature dinner and dessert accompanied by performances from the jazz bands, the show choir and the Part-Time Simpletons Improv Troupe.
Their goal will be to raise funds for the spring musical and next year’s Fine Arts program.
“A Night of Nites” takes place on March 7. More information will be available soon, so watch the West Liberty Index for advertising.