Dear Colleagues,
By now you’ve received numerous updates from so many of the organizations you work for and those who play an important part of your social and/or personal life.
Whether it has been urging us to wash our hands, avoid all but those in our homes or each devastating cancellation that upends our income and our spending, you, and your experience through this evolving crisis have been in the front of our minds. We know that New West is but a link in the chain of your lives but every link connects us to the next.
Even as news of Covid19’s spread was plastering our newsfeeds, New West was hoping against hope to present Symphonic Adventures this week to the hundreds of children and teachers who invested classroom time to prepare for their role in the performance. We worked through draft after draft of the script and the staff was giving me plenty of advice about what has worked in the past and where we needed to improve. I was so excited to experience this longstanding tradition. The City of Thousand Oaks was also trying so hard to avoid cancelling events at the Civic Arts Plaza and I know it broke their hearts to inform us of their proclamation as it broke our hearts to be unable to proceed with the performances.
I can only imagine that the other organizations you are affiliated with are trying as hard as we are to adapt to this situation that has no defined end and plan as well as we can to reschedule events. Our patrons will want to have performances resume, you will want to take the stage and of course, we’d all like life to begin to regain some normalcy.
I am pleased that the New West Symphony Board has been realistic and forthright with our patrons about what this unforeseen circumstance has required of us. Similarly, I want to be the same for you and state that every day we are working this problem to the extent our venues and civic leaders allow us. We will reschedule as many services as we can as quickly as we can.
I am grateful to each of you for welcoming me to the podium this year and I feel like we’ve put forward a compelling vision for our future.
Please stay healthy and safe. I look forward to the next time we can bring music to our community.
Sincerely,
Michael
