[CAUT] Piano and concert policies

[Fred Sturm]

We don't have a formal written use policy of which I am aware, but I  
think we have a good "culture" of control of the recital hall, so I'll  
share it in case some details are of use.
	It starts with having a full time hall manager. This came about maybe  
15 years ago, by adding a number of duties to the part time position.  
She is also in charge of equipment inventory; various layout and  
printing duties (including concert programs and various brochures);  
key authorization for all keys in the building; press releases,  
advertising, public relations; keeping track of attendance for the  
required, non-credit, "concert music" (attendance at X number of  
concerts per term, required of all music majors every semester - a  
fairly big headache); a few other miscellaneous things.
	The hall manager schedules absolutely everything in the hall, and  
controls the keys. When the appointment time arrives (rehearsal,  
whatever), she or one of her student aides meets the person at the  
door and opens it. At the end, she returns and closes up. No keys are  
checked out. No keys are lent.
	Other copies of the keys are held by a very restricted number of  
people, including myself, recording engineer, dept secy, dept  
administrator, and a couple profs who teach sections of music  
appreciation class in the hall. Period. Nobody lends keys. If someone  
has a legitimate reason to go in, we go with them and open the door,  
leaving it locked.
	It also helps, logistically, that the hall manager's office is the  
"light booth," a room on the second floor overlooking the back of the  
hall with a window: she can see what is going on when she is in her  
office. There is a video cam in the hall, which feeds a monitor in the  
recording engineer's room across the hallway from a side entrance, so  
he can see what's going on. The hall is centrally located, with the  
rest of the department surrounding it, so there are people walking by  
front, sides and back all the time. And it's scheduled so solidly from  
mid fall semester through the end of spring that there's no time for  
any mischief to take place.
	But the "key" is the keys and how they are controlled. Especially  
that no faculty have their own (other than the music appreciation  
profs, and that's all they teach - they don't have applied students  
they might want to do favors for).
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Oct 2, 2008, at 1:49 PM, Kent Swafford wrote:

> We have a new Conservatory dean, who may just be the one to impose  
> some sorely-needed backstage discipline here. (Anyone remember  
> pictures in the Journal of the D fallen into our pit?)
>
> We are looking to formulate both concert production policies and  
> piano use policies.
>
> Does anyone have policies of which you are particularly proud that  
> you could share and from which we might "shamelessly steal" (Dean's  
> words)?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Kent
>