Our philosophy of programming

Perhaps a better title for this column would be “How do ya pick ‘em?”  I get that question quite often, so I thought now would be a good time to do some ‘splainin’.

First of all, there are really three categories I think of as far as programming concerts for the public.  I guess I could say four when I consider the church music I am involved with at First United Methodist.  So, here is a little insight of what goes into programming at Fountain Park, Niswonger Performing Arts Center, and church.

At Fountain Park, I am looking for music that is fun, entertaining and of very good quality.  I remember the first year (10 years ago) I booked musical concerts with local and regional performers I had contact with.  Over the years, I have been able to expand my contacts and genres of music. I now am able to bring performers to Van Wert that I have many times heard at professional conferences. They are usually accepted to perform at these conferences by juries. In other words, not just anyone is able to perform.  They must reach a certain standard of performance before being invited to showcase at the conference.

Not all performers come from jury-selected performances. Occasionally I hear of someone from an agent I respect who has heard them perform. Or perhaps someone has heard a performer and I check them out and decide if I think they may be a good fit for our typical audience.

There are certain choices that are relatively “safe” choices.  In other words, I know most people will enjoy them.  Once in awhile, I take a stab at someone who might expand our audience tastes.  I am happy to say that in most instances, the audience has been very satisfied once they give them a chance.  I enjoy being able to do this on occasion.

Different performers cater to different audiences.  Although, some may not agree, I do try to cater to many ages of audience. This season in Fountain Park, we will have music that spans across many generations. I do have to admit that I sometimes find older people to actually be more open to different kinds of music than the younger generations.  I am surprised at how many older people will listen to more current music than younger people will listen to older music.

All this being said; my driving force for Fountain Park entertainment is pure fun and entertainment while presenting quality artists.

When it comes to programming entertainment at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, there are two series to concern myself with.  I also have a committee that gives valuable input.  The Community Concert Series (CCS) is an established concert series with a long and respected tradition in Van Wert.  The original concept of the CCS was to bring Carnegie Hall quality performances to the smaller cities and venues throughout America. I try to continue that tradition by bringing, quite often, what I would consider the most talented musicians to the NPAC stage. They may not always be the most recognizable names, but they are often the most talented; case in point: the American Spiritual Ensemble this past year.  Few had ever heard of this vocal group, but now people still talk about that concert as one of the finest of the season.

We also try to package the performances together in one affordable price.  Many people are able to attend four to five performances for the price of one ticket of a headliner somewhere else.

The Grand Series at the NPAC is where we move into the land of the big boys!  Our venue at the NPAC allows us to do this.  Many of our performers in the Grand Series have been seen on TV or Broadway or are certainly recognizable to the general public. Variety is always considered, but mass appeal is also a big consideration. I think you will find that this year’s Grand Series will deliver once again. It will be exciting, thrilling and create a big demand by the general public. I think it will be outstanding!

Everything we bring into Van Wert, in my opinion, needs to be of exceptional quality and must be acceptable to the high moral standards our community holds dear. These are a few of the driving forces behind what we present through the Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation and The Van Wert County Foundation.

Our standards are high and we aim to keep ‘em that way. I feel Van Wert deserves nothing less!

FINÉ.