Important BRPM UPDATES FROM THE BOARD
Dear BRPM Community,
We hope that everyone had an excellent summer and have been enjoying some fall festivities!
It’s been a few months since our last newsletter and this is a long one, as the Board has several important updates to share.
Firstly, we want to celebrate the awesome debuts of four new bands at our spring adult session and eight new bands at our summer youth session! Learning instruments, writing songs, making friends, growing confidence, and performing at showcases is all part of the BRPM magic, and we’re proud to have kept that magic alive for 14 years now.
BRPM has experienced significant ups and downs over the past five years in particular, from navigating the challenges of COVID to the systemic issues faced by all grassroots nonprofits, including funding and volunteer shortages, frequent turnover, and the burnout that results when passionate and caring humans give everything for a cause they believe in. In the spirit of transparency and vulnerability, over the past year these issues have at times felt insurmountable: BRPM was denied several grants that we’ve typically received; staff/Board/volunteers each took on the workloads of multiple people in order to hold sessions; volunteer numbers have been lower than ever, which puts an unfair burden on our veteran volunteers; costs have gone up for everything; our longtime partners at SOAR haven’t been able to help us strategize a path forward.
While the Board continues to apply for new grants and envision how to balance scarcity with sustainability, we’ve had to make the extremely difficult decision to eliminate paid staff roles, effective October 11. This means that for the foreseeable future, BRPM will operate like many of our sibling organizations in the GRCA, and be run by our volunteer Board.
We want to thank Program Manager Ava Dudani and Social Media Coordinator Hope DeLuca for their wonderful contributions, and wish them the very best for their next chapters.
To Ava - Thank you for your radiant energy and enthusiasm in supporting BRPM youth and adults to express themselves through music. You led an impactful August youth session with grace and creativity, introducing new ways to get everyone more educated on Chappell Roan (can we hear a H-O-T-T-O-G-O??) and local musicians. Your tireless commitment to uplift marginalized and underrepresented identities in music is inspiring to all of us, and we’re excited for you to continue expanding your musical talents and leadership in Vermont, Boston, and beyond!
To Hope - Thank you for knowing how to best capture and showcase the magic of BRPM’s programs and people over the last two years. You played a meaningful role in helping us figure out the best ways to highlight what we do behind the scenes, at sessions and showcases, and our commitment to joyful resistance. Your dedication to the BRPM mission is crystal-clear, and we’re all rooting for you as you build your musicianship in Nashville and as you run your socks off in long distance races!
To our volunteer community - We know this is hard news to receive, and likely brings up many feelings and questions. We deeply appreciate your dedication to BRPM and want to hear from you. Keep a lookout for an upcoming survey where you can share what’s on your mind, including thoughts on your volunteer experience and ideas for the future.
Here’s our current plan for 2025 sessions, depending on Board/funding/volunteer capacity:
The November adult session will be postponed until March; an official decision will be communicated in January 2025.
We also intend to hold a summer youth session; an official decision will be communicated no later than March 2025.
It is absolutely our hope and goal to rebuild BRPM back to a staff-run model, ideally one with Executive Director, Development, and Program roles. We don’t know whether that’s possible or how long it will take, but we do know that as six volunteers, we can’t do it alone. Regardless of our organizational structure, our future relies on finding new ways to keep the beat going.
Here are three ways you can help BRPM right now:
1) Apply to serve on the Board (or nominate someone else) before the end of November!
We need people with experience in one or more of these areas:
Grantwriting/fundraising strategy
Volunteer recruitment
Youth and/or adult programming
Operations/budget management
Communications/marketing/social media
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Education/BPS connections
City of Boston/local government connections
Community partnerships
2) Contact us at board@raisingpowerfulmusicians.org if:
You’re involved in an organization or school with volunteer or work study programs
You can potentially connect us with corporate sponsorships
You’ve never volunteered at BRPM and want to learn more
3) Make a one-time or monthly donation in any amount!
Last but not least, during this uncertain time we’re especially grateful that a team of incredible community members decided to organize a Halloween show benefit for BRPM! Come on out to Warehouse XI in Somerville on Saturday, October 26 at 2pm (doors at 1pm) for an all-ages show featuring 11 cover bands, a costume contest, karaoke, and more. Grab tickets in advance or at the door for a suggested donation of $10–25 (nobody turned away for lack of funds). We hope to see everyone there!
As always, thank you all for your steadfast support of BRPM.
You Rock,
Boston Raising Powerful Musicians Board of Directors
Nina Angeles-Costa
Kristen Bonstein
Rachel Hock
Tanya Nixon-Silberg
Nina Schiarizzi-Tobin
Darby Smotherman