Dear Friends of Indian Hill Music,
During the first half of Fiscal Year 2020, Indian Hill Music was
roaring ahead with our organizational growth plan. We had added
nine new ensembles to our school,
student enrollment was growing, our new Headliner Series featuring
award-winning diverse performers attracted nearly 400 new people to
Indian Hill during 8 concerts, and our power- house orchestra was
thoroughly engaging its audiences. We were expanding our school
partnerships in the high-need districts of Fitchburg and Lawrence.
We had embarked on our 15th season of free Bach’s Lunch community
concerts. Our Threshold Singers at Indian Hill hospice choir was
forging new partner- ships to serve ever more clients and their
loved ones.
When the pandemic hit, all of this came to a halt. Within weeks,
however, our outstanding faculty embraced the chal- lenge, learned
new technologies, and migrated to an online private lesson model.
Our dedicated students rose to the challenge and over 90 percent
continued their lessons online and showcased their accomplishments
in virtual recitals. The faculty’s continued connection with
students has provided a lifeline for self-expression and helped to
lessen some of the isolation that this crisis has caused.
Our annual Performathon in April is a time for the Indian Hill
school community to play music and raise funds for our need-based
scholarships, public school partnerships, and free programs
dedicated to seniors. This year, the Performathon went virtual.
Students created and shared via social media uplifting performance
videos—all to support students experiencing financial
hardship.
message from our Ceo & Board Chair
Peter Ashton Chair, Board of Directors
Indian Hill continues to adapt our programming. We brought Bach’s
Lunch concerts “on the road,” with our musicians playing outdoors
to the delight of seniors in care facilities. We offered virtual
workshops, Free Class Day, mock auditions, classes and
ensembles—all to the high standard you expect from Indian Hill
Music. We are offering free remote private lessons for Fitchburg
band and strings students engaged in our outreach programs.
While we are deeply disappointed that our live professional
concerts are on hold, we created Virtual Connections featuring
conductor Bruce Hangen, which offer up close and personal ways for
you to interact with Bruce and our orchestra musicians. And our
“Live from Indian Hill” livestream concerts with Headliner artists
have been a huge success.
After a six-week pause due to the pandemic, construction on our new
home in Groton continues. The progress has been stunning. With a
projected opening in the fall of 2022, we cannot wait to fulfill
our vision in this incredible facility.
You, our wonderfully generous donors, have made all of this
possible. You embraced and supported our growth. Then you quickly
stepped up to support us when the pandemic struck. Many of you
increased your giving, you checked in, you attended our virtual
programs, offered your thanks, and provided feed- back. You have
been with us every step of the way over the past year and we are
deeply, deeply grateful.
Lisa Fiorentino Chief Executive Officer
Note: all group photos were taken prior to CoVid.
Page 3 – Groton project update
TEXT IS COMING! There is only one photo of the new site in there,
that is for this page.
The absence of concerts has reminded us that there is nothing quite
like attending a live performance and bonding with the musicians
and the enthusiastic audience members around us. This is why we are
even more excited about our future home in Groton. With a projected
opening in the fall of 2022, we are still two years away, but
actively planning for the day when students can learn in
state-of-the art studios and musicians of all genres will perform
in superbly designed, acoustically engineered concert halls to
share magnificent live music.
expand a high-quality music school with incredible faculty and
unlimited potential. The opportunity came at the per- fect time, as
education became the primary focus of my career. The professional
music scene eventually reemerged as part of my work life, but it
happened gradually. Education and performance are so closely
entwined at Indian Hill that in hindsight, it now seems inevitable
that it would.
“A few years back our performances were predominantly classical: it
was almost all about our amazing Orchestra. Faculty concerts added
some variety and showcased our talented artist educators, but our
audiences wanted more. It wasn’t my job (or anyone’s job at that
point) to book pro- fessional musicians in new genres, but it fit
perfectly with what I enjoy, what I’m good at, and what Indian Hill
needed. My first two bookings were in 2018 with Mike Block and
Jason Palmer, whom I knew well and thought would be well-received
by our audience. When those concerts were successful I was having
so much fun that I just kept going, and suddenly we’d added 11 new
concerts that year. We were on track for 14 new Headliner concerts
in FY21 before COVID struck. The good news is we won’t lose that
momentum. Booking the non-classical acts has become an official
part of my job, and one I am so happy to return to— we’ll be ready
to bring back live, in-person concerts as soon as we can. The
future is so bright at Indian Hill and I feel beyond lucky to be
playing a leadership role in bring- ing transformative musical
experiences to our region.”
e d u c at i o n & p e r f o r m a n c e
Two Hats are Better than One . . . An Interview with Pete
Robbins
pete robbins, professional edu-
programs, and jazz saxophonist
Director of Non-Classical Perfor-
Pete about how this change is both
a reflection of his life in music, and
the growth of our organization.
M usicians wear all kinds of hats, most commonly, performer and
teacher. Typically one hat is worn more often than the other, but I
wanted to dedicate
myself to both performing and teaching. I started on a dual track
in college, pursuing two degrees and splitting time between Tufts
and the New England Conservatory; that carried through to my
post-college life in New York. I began teaching in Brooklyn, and
then oversaw a music department at a Manhattan private school, and
all of the arts program- ming at a network of over 30 charter
schools throughout the city. I taught general music and band,
created instrumental programs, designed curriculum, and also had
some private students. Education filled my days, and my nights were
for practicing, booking gigs, jamming, and performing. Both sides
of my professional life were fulfilling. Things started to change
when my kids came along—it was difficult to dedicate myself fully
to teaching, performing and raising kids (two boys, currently 8 and
10 years old). I’d had success as a professional musician—I’d
released records and toured Europe and I loved it, but it can be a
tough life with a family and they had become my top priority.
“I moved home to Massachusetts to become Indian Hill’s Director of
Education in 2016. I‘d actually attended a fan- tastic workshop
here with Frank Bonanno back when I was in middle school that was
both meaningful and motivation- al, so I already had good feelings
on arrival, but it was the growth plan that really excited me. I
was given a mission to
Headliner Series performers in 2019–2020. top left: Jason palmer;
top right: Hanneke cassel and mike Block; Bottom left: Zahili
Gonzalez Zamora performing with miXcLa; Bottom right: Jeremy Kittel
conducting a workshop with indian Hill music students; center: pete
robbins
Giving music generously is central to our mission. Our music
philanthropy has grown in parallel with our performance programs
and Music School offerings, broadening our reach and touching more
lives each year.
Indian Hill Music has been building school-based partnerships for
14 years, with a significant increase over the past five years.
Since 2015, we’ve expanded from instrument lessons in two schools
within one public school district, to multiple programs across nine
schools within four districts (Ayer-Shirley, Clinton, Fitchburg and
Lawrence), as well as the addition of our first lesson program in
the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. We collaborate
with music teachers, principals and other partners to identify
needs, fill gaps and enhance the music curriculum in ways that are
tailored to each school. Our child-centered approach guides our
work and drives our diverse options. Beyond developing robust band
programs in high-need districts, Indian Hill Music faculty can be
found teaching violin and guiding string ensembles; providing voice
coaching and support for musical theater productions; leading
ukulele classes; and offering high school students unique workshops
with renowned guest artists.
Our goal is to remove all barriers to music education. While our
work with local districts and organizations continues to grow, we
don’t have a presence in every area school—yet. For students who do
not currently attend one of Indian Hill Music’s partner schools, we
provide need-based scholarships for private lessons, classes and
ensembles for families experiencing financial hardship.
Indian Hill’s music philanthropy programs are made possible by our
donors’ philanthropy. With your continued support, we plan for the
number of children served by both our partnerships and scholarships
to continue on its an upward trajectory for years to come. You have
our profound gratitude, and the heartfelt thanks of so many people
who have been touched by this work.
m u S i c p H i L a n t H r o p y
Expanding Partnerships, Touching Lives School-based partnerships up
405% since fy15
200
175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
10
8
6
4
2
0
FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20
m u S i c p H i L a n t H r o p y
Expanding Partnerships, Touching Lives Students participating in
our free School music partnerships during the 2019–20 academic
year
How have you been dealing with the absence of concerts?
The impact has been significant, as it is on all performing
artists. I’ve tried to use the time to my best advantage, however.
My daily plan since we closed down is to walk four miles a day,
meditate, read (I almost always have at least half-a-dozen books
waiting to be read), and I make sure to practice piano every day.
While cello was my primary instrument, I played and studied both
piano and cello through my college days. I’m sure I’ve practiced
piano more in the last nine months than I have in the last nine
years! But I do it every day for at least an hour because it’s my
only way these days to actually make music.
How do you stay connected with the orchestra musicians and our
audiences?
I’ve been checking in with the musicians from time to time, and
collaborating on the Orchestra of Indian Hill’s Virtual Connections
has helped me keep in touch with them.
Indian Hill’s first virtual orchestra program grew from my experi-
ence at the Boston Conservatory when we had to move quickly to an
online world in the spring. So, at Indian Hill, I wanted to get
some kind of a performance message out to our orchestra friends.
Offering “Simple Gifts” by our string principals was received so
well we thought it would be a great idea to continue doing more,
and with more musicians. So, now we have our regular series,
View from On (and Off) the Podium B r u c e H a n G e n , a r t i S
t i c d i r e c t o r a n d c o n d u c t o r , o r c H e S t r a o
f i n d i a n H i L L Professor of Conducting and Director of
Orchestral Activities, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Like performing
arts organizations
2020 season due to
the new reality and
and musicians.
Inspired Ensembles, which to date has featured members of our
string, brass, woodwind and percussion sections. Each video is a
short musical offering for which the players involved prepare on
their own and rehearse and record virtually.
Meet Our Musicians is a more focused, personal approach with one
player from the orchestra. In each interview we get to know them
both as musicians and as people, discovering their likes and
dislikes, thoughts about the orchestra’s future, and of course,
seeing how they are dealing with the unfortunate reality of a
pandemic. Both of these series are a great chance to see our
orchestra musicians up close and personal, as well as playing their
instrument.
I’m happy to be producing Bruce’s Playlist, which we’re now doing
on a monthly basis. And, because all the recordings I play are from
our own Orchestra of Indian Hill archives, it’s rather fun to be
listening to, and reminiscing about all that great repertoire in
past performances. So, yes, I do it all —come up with the theme,
review previous orchestra recordings, select the clips, write the
script, and record it in my home studio. It takes more time than
you’d think, but I’m definitely enjoying it!
How are you planning for the future?
I have given a lot of thought to what and how we might perform in
the future, but not knowing exactly when that may be doesn’t really
lend itself to making specific plans. All I can say now about our
return to live performance is that it will have to be a very
special program––perhaps with music that’s comforting and relaxing
for the audience and likely music that the orchestra overwhelmingly
loves to play. Our first time back can then be remembered for the
joy of making and hearing music again, together, live.
BEfOrE Bruce and guest pianist, aristo Sham, take questions at the
post-concert encore café, oct. 2019; guest flautist marcos Granados
performs with the orchestra of indian Hill, feb. 2020
AfTEr a scene from an Inspired Ensembles video on youtube,
featuring brass players from the orchestra of indian Hill; Bruce
chats with principal violist amelia Hollander ames via Zoom at the
Meet Our Musicians event
Teachers and students across the country had to quickly adapt to
online learning during the spring of 2020, and
Indian Hill Music School was no exception. Overnight, our faculty
became well-versed in the finer points of Zoom versus Facetime, and
our students figured out how to set up their cameras just right, so
that their teacher can see both their hands AND face. Everyone
discovered which room had the best wifi signal.
We are eager to resume in-person activities as soon as it is safe,
but we’re also happy to say that this dramatic shift in the way we
operate, for the most part, went smoothly. Over 90 percent of
students continued private lessons remotely. One of the bright
spots of our new reality has been the affirmation that the
relationships between students and teachers, and the many ways
music brings us closer together, are not dependent on physical
proximity.
In their own words, students and parents share what Indian Hill
lessons have meant to them and their families during a difficult
time. . . .
Moving online
Thank you so much for all of your efforts to make continued voice
instruction possible during these months of quarantine. When one’s
interactions with people outside the family are so few, the week-
ly online music lesson was more than just instruction— it was a
very welcome dose of normalcy in a very un-normal time. And
most importantly, the move to online lessons allowed [my daughter]
to partici- pate in something she loves (singing), when so many
other pastimes and pursuits have been put on hold for the time
being.” heather parent, Harvard
[Their teacher] has stayed right with them through highs and lows,
achieve- ments and plateaus, relying on the relationships she
builds to carry them through. Being home so much the last few
weeks, there is beautiful music in our home that has given us a
sound- track of hope.” molly parent, BoxBorougH
Thank you for your patience and for being there every week. Thank
you for cheering me on and helping me learn and letting me grow!”
Gavin student, age 7, acton
As teachers go, he is a master of his craft. Beyond that, he has
made a connection with my son that will be lasting. We are so
thankful.” Beth parent, sHirley
My teacher is helping me find my inner singer in the most fun and
joyful way. And all the breathing is really helping during this
stressful time! I am so lucky to have time with her each week!”
Julie adult student, sHirley
Peter Ashton, Chair Simon Jones, Vice-Chair Jonathan Panek,
Treasurer George Allison, Clerk
Peter Bentinck-Smith Kirsta Davey Phil Francisco Jeffrey Fuhrer
Kimberly Harriman Stephen J. Irish Melissa Maranda Carole Prest
Dave Riggert Troy Siebels Miriam Smith Deb Verner
Camilla C. Blackman Director Emerita
Priscilla Endicott Director Emerita
Robert Anderson Honorary Director
Ralph Brown Honorary Director
David Moulton Honorary Director
4%
2020 Operating ExpensesThis is the tenth consecutive year in which
Indian Hill has met or exceeded our financial goals. We are a
completely debt-free organization and have shown a positive change
in net assets from operating activities for the past ten years. We
have $3.5 million in investments.
For additional information and our full financial statements,
please contact Debra Gorfine at
[email protected].
(Excludes Capital Support)
Susan Randazzo Senior Advisor
Bruce Hangen Artistic Director & Conductor, Orchestra of Indian
Hill
Pete Robbins Director of Education and Non-Classical Performance
Programming
Evanthea Vlahakis Director of Marketing & Public
Relations
Leslie Brew Patron Services Representative
Lisa Cleveland Assistant Director of Education
Pam Gilfillan Annual Fund Manager
Debra Gorfine Senior Accounting Analyst
Michael Havay Class & Ensemble Manager
THE COUNCIL OF INDIAN HILL MUSIC
The Council is comprised of individuals who have shown a deep
commitment to Indian Hill, through their investments of time,
treasure and talent. Council members provide clear-eyed feedback
and strategic guidance on a variety of organizational priorities;
act as Indian Hill ambassadors; and generously support our mission
in a variety of ways.
Peter Burk Ruth Cavanagh John Chickosky Emilie Coolidge Faith Cross
Cheryl DaSilva Armand Diarbekirian Ursula Flury Hugh Fortmiller
Erica Reynolds Hager Mike Knupp Erika Boardman Kraft Steve Levitsky
Stephen Lieman Mary Livingston Sue Lotz
Gail Lyons Ray Lyons Paul Malchodi Russ Murray Jane Puffer Pam
Resor Karen Riggert Dorothy Robbins Phil Robbins Charlotte Russell
Edythe Salzman Mark Scheier Cindy Smith Randy Steere Ed Strachan
Bill Wilkinson
Dulcey Lacroix Patron Services Specialist
Mary Leahy Development Manager (retired)
Ann Maher Patron Services Coordinator
MaryFran Mitrano Development Manager
Joel Mongeon Maintenance Associate
Kate Weiss Artistic Operations Manager and Development
Coordinator
Michelle Weisman Development and Marketing Intern
Design and printing of this Annual Report generously supported
by
36 King Street, PO Box 1484 Littleton, MA 01460 978-486-9524
Design: David Gerratt/NonprofitDesign.com
Photography: Karen Riggert (Board and CEO photos, p. 2; The Music
Center at Indian Hill under construction, exterior, p. 3); David
Foxe, Epstein Joslin Architects (The Music Center at Indian Hill
under construction, interior detail, p. 3); Dave Kaufman (Jason
Palmer, p. 5); Courtesy of the Lowell Sun (Drum circle, back
cover). All other photos courtesy of Indian Hill Music.
www.indianhillmusic.org
Indian Hill Music is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
share the transformative power of music, through teaching and
performing, and giving music generously when there is need.