One Drum Many Songs / Un Tambor Muchas Canciones

The CMN 2019 Annual International Conference

by Alice Burba and Katherine Dines

As co-chairs of the upcoming 2019 conference, the two of us made a number of changes. Before anyone gets too carried away, please remember: any and all changes are FOR THIS YEAR ONLY (unless of course you like them enough to keep them). Thanks to the thumbs up from the CMN Board, we have felt empowered and excited to make plans that seem to work well with the venue, environment, and theme to create a unique experience for everyone. Along with all the work, we’ve had fun planning together and building a lasting friendship along the way.

Here are the changes we’ve made and some of the reasons we made them:

1. Pre-Conference Day at the Musical Instrument Museum

This museum’s world-renowned collection of instruments is exceptional, and not to be missed. We knew that our members would enjoy the opportunity to explore this collection. Plus, the MIM offered us a workshop along with admission, all included in the preconference registration. This is a great opportunity to learn and grow musically outside of CMN.

2. Local Flavors

Because this is our first time in the Southwest, our opening will host three events with direct connections to the cultures of this region. First, musician Roman Orona and a few of his family members will honor and welcome the Native ancestors from these lands. Next, Ballet Folklorico will perform in celebration of the Latinx culture here. Finally, Katherine Dines will perform the song written for this year’s theme—“One Drum Many Songs; Un Tambor Muchas Canciones”—with more of Roman Orona’s magical drumming, along with the CMN Board of Directors and everyone who wants to chime in.

3. Friday Night Networking, Round Robin on Saturday Only

We realized that—on top of a day of traveling, a workshop at the MIM, and the culturally connected Opening that we felt we needed to bring us into the Conference space—adding a Friday Round-Robin to the schedule would be too much. Feedback following conferences in the past often requested more time for people to network, and we thought Friday night would be the best time for that. So we encourage you to form your own song circles, jams, conversations, etc., and hang out together! Then get ready for Liz Hannan’s brilliant and hysterical hosting at Saturday’s Round-Robin. Online sign-ups were a hit last year, so watch for a link to sign up in the coming weeks. Because we will have fewer slots, consider partnering with a friend or creating a mash-up!

4. Our First PIO! Scholars Award

We start this new tradition as a way to engage young people who are passionate about creating music with children or working with children through music. It is an opportunity to spread the word about CMN and to bring younger members into our musical family. We will be presenting this award at the CMN Annual Meeting (scheduled after Saturday’s lunch).

5. Raffle Snaffle

We decided that a new approach to our silent auction might be less complicated and more exciting. This year, we are combining smaller items and allowing people to stuff ballot boxes with as many raffle tickets as they would like for the items they hope to win. This way, more people can be involved with the chance to score a great prize for the price of a single ticket. The clever Lisa Heintz is our coordinator, and of course, she came up with the snazzy name!

6. Going Green

We are nixing as much paper as we can. We are providing refillable water bottles for all attendees. Please refill them during the day, take them home with you, and avoid any and all plastics. (And because we are in the desert, staying hydrated is really important).

7. Donations for Migrants Rather Than Glad Rags

Many of our members have asked what we can do to address the humanitarian crisis at the border so close to this year’s conference. CMN member Jess Oakenstar is coordinating the collection of donations for migrants to go to a number of local charities. This donation area will replace our usual Glad Rags. A list of items will be sent through the listserv soon. Please pack a few of these extra items in your bag.

8. Snack Table Donations

Feel free to enjoy yummy treats on our snack table. We will have a donation jar set out to help defray the costs!

9. Trading Post

Regarding the Sales Table, feedback from past conferences cited no-shows at volunteer times, complaints about missing product, having to send product back if you had to leave before the sales area closed, and too much paperwork. So this year, we have a Trading Post—a place where people can go to trade, collaborate, or even sell their wares privately.

As you can tell, this conference may feel quite different. Yet we are still playing the same drum, and it will give us many songs. (We have had a lot of help from our wonderful network too). We hope everyone has a terrific time and that CMN’s energy will echo all the way to the East Coast for next year’s conference, hosted by David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans.

Welcome one and all to Un Tambor Muchas Canciones!

With amor y luz (love and light) from Alice and Katherine.

Have you registered yet? Sign up to attend the CMN 2019 Conference and join us in Arizona!