Here is the second day of takeaways from the NATS Conference in Chicago – July 2, 2022 (additional comments below each session in italics)

July 2, 2022

• “Pricing for Generosity” presented by Michelle Markwart Deveaux

Takeaways:

• “My worth as a human being is not manifested in how much I earn”
• Pricing should have impact and bring peace
• Love + Data = Pricing
  • Give/Save/Spend
  • Brand alignment
  • Ideal Client
  • Self-loyalty and -love
  • Unique Value Proposition
  • Service/business model
    MMD has been a tremendous influence on my teaching these last few years that I’ve been a member of the Speakeasy Cooperative. It’s not just about making money!

• “I Could Never Do That: The Musical” presented by Eden Casteel
  Takeaways:
  • Recitals aren’t necessary and that you should ask your students what they need in terms of performance opportunities – beginning of the school year survey (Google Forms)
  • Cabaret
  • Field trips to 
    • Karaoke/monthly open mics
    • Piano bars
    • Happy Hour/Sing For Your Supper formats
  • Each others’ shows
    There’s a lot about this that I would like to do – specifically, I’d like to see if Gourmet at Kenilworth would be open to doing a piano bar. Unfortunately, we lost Germano’s in Little Italy to the pandemic, because I was going to hold a studio cabaret show on 3/29/2020, but you know what happened there…. I completely agree that formal recitals aren’t necessary, but I think my studio showcases are unique in and of themselves.

• Opening Ceremony 

• • • Welcome followed by the National Anthems (SSB, O Canada, Schubert)
    • Introductions
    • Speech by Allen Henderson
    • Welcome/Conference Orientation by Rebecca Schorsch, Conference Program Chair
    • NATS COMMUNITY SING featuring Clarice V. Assad
    • Improvisation and group reading of her piece, “Amazonia”
      This was very different! Lots of creativity here – I would love to incorporate more improvisation in my teaching. And maybe I need to do a “National Anthem” group class. 😀

• “The Unknown Arranged Negro Spirituals of Roland Carter” presented by Marquita Lister and Roland Carter (mini-recital)
  Takeaways: This was a wonderful, expressively performed and well-sung recital with some fantastic repertoire that I’m looking forward to seeing published!
  Marquita is a colleague in MDDC NATS and it was an honor to see her in performance.

Stay tuned for the July 3 takeaways in Thursday’s blogpost.