How to Build a Community Around a Shared Cause
Music is a catalyst that deepens the sense of our shared humanity. While I have certainly gained tremendously from having music in my life, I have come to view my role as Music Director & Conductor as less of a lover of music and more as a servant of the music and the community that benefits from our programming. I have discovered that people resonate with this approach because when they experience the awesomeness of the music, they want to become part of a community that elevates greatness.
When it was made clear that the local performing arts facilities that had served our community so well for so many years were no longer adequate to support the tremendous growth of our performing arts community, the initial numbers of people who rallied behind the construction of a cultural and performing arts center was staggering. So many people in our community understood that investing in a cultural center was an investment in our community, our quality of life, and who we are.
However, the more traction made in support of a cultural and performing arts center, the more inaccurate, false, and misinformation were disseminated to support other people's agendas. To this, my response is the same as all of those Homeland Security signs in airports and train stations: “If you see something, say something.” Don’t be afraid to speak up and call out inaccuracies, false or misleading statements that get reported. Misinformation combined with one person’s desire to put forth their own agenda can have a chilling effect on a shared cause. Don’t be afraid to speak up publicly to help correct misinformation.
Some people sense that if you spend money on one community asset, you take money away from other causes. And I agree, it is hard to build a state-of-the-art cultural and performing arts center if basic social services are not being provided to the citizens of your community. So first, get to know the facts. Have your civic leaders made strides in supporting the social services for the most venerable? If strides have been made and some are tied to the continued success of the local economy, then a shared cause that will further elevate the local economy will only help elevate the most venerable further.
Work collaboratively to find a “win-win”: Team up with the Friends of the Performing Arts, and with the Friends of the Library, and with the Friends of the Museum, and with the Friends of Recreation, etc. Work collaboratively and find a “win-win” with such groups. The rising tide of the performing arts can lift up other communities that can provide greater access to education, recreation, internet access, etc.
Engage the youth: I have been beyond impressed with the drive, ingenuity, and desire of younger generations to advocate for causes. If your community has music and art education in the schools, civic art programs & youth orchestras, pre-professional dance companies, etc., then engage these young people!!! Their ability to use technology, to stand on the shoulders of the greats who came before us, and to achieve more than was ever achieved before, is astounding!
When the conversation is driven from the point of view of abundance and our desire to forecast our brightest future — rather from a scarcity mentality — we can tap into the best parts of who we are, creating a community around a shared cause.
