On Mission and Vision

Recently, the Longmont Symphony Orchestra held a strategic planning session with our mission and vision statements on the docket for discussion and revision. Mission/vision statements are fascinating to me because, as the artistic leader a non-profit organization, I am acutely aware that we are defined by name only as what we are not for: profit.  (I must admit that I have always been frustrated by defining something by what it is not; this is hardly an effective way of defining what something is!) Either way, all non-profit’s must answer the challenging question of explaining what they are for. The most effective way for to let the world know what your organization stands for is to create a mission and vision statement. 

Some time ago, it dawned on me that if all of the non-profit arts organizations that I respect have compelling mission and vision statements, I should create my own statement.  Accumulating vast sums of wealth was not my primary motivator in becoming an artist. Therefore, I wanted to be specific about the intentionality behind choosing this path. What did I want to accomplish as an artist? What could I bring to the world through my art? I came up with the following statement for my artistic purpose:

Mission: I am committed to uplifting the citizens of the world through transformative music making. 

Vision: I envision a world where music is a catalyst that deepens the awareness of our shared humanity and where artists impact all segments of the communities they serve by meaningful collaboration.

As the leadership at the Longmont Symphony worked to redefine our collective raison d’être, I felt compelled to share my personal artistic mission and vision statements with our governing body. I was thrilled that several aspects of my statements resonated widely with LSO board members!  Collectively, we concluded that music is a catalyst that deepens the awareness of our shared humanity and placed high value on how artistic collaboration helps our community to be the best possible place to live. 

I want to express my gratitude to the LSO Board of Directors who have incorporated much of my own artistic beliefs into their vision of what our orchestra can be for the community. What a great thing to be working to realize a vision where music is a catalyst to uplift our citizens and is a transformative power that deepens the awareness of our shared humanity!