SR 09-24-2019 13E 13.E
September 24, 2019
Council Meeting: September 24, 2019 Santa Monica, California
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CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services
Department
Date: September 24, 2019
13.E Request of Councilmembers Jara, Morena and Winterer that the Council
allocate $20,000 of discretionary funds to the Symphony Tour Fund,
operated through the Santa Monica Arts Parents Association (SMAPA), a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID No. 95-2563339). These funds will
assist students from low -income households to travel with the Santa
Monica High School Symphony Orchestra's spring 2020 tour of Europe.
From: Kim Nemoy <kimnemoy@roadrunner.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2019 3:03 PM
To: Ted Winterer <Ted.Winterer@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra Tour
Councilman Winterer,
The Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra is planning a tour to Amsterdam and Berlin
over spring break, April 6-15, 2020. Ninety Symphony students will have a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to perform at both the renowned Concertgebouw and Berliner Philharmonie,
receive masterclasses, and see the sites of the beautiful cities. In addition, we will stop in
Hamm, Germany, Santa Monica’s Sister City, where we hope to perform and meet other youth
orchestra musicians.
The cost of the tour is estimated to be $4,000 per student. As this opportunity will only be
available if all of our Symphony students can participate, we are engaging in fundraising efforts
to cover the full or partial cost for students unable to make the full contribution, including
those students from low-income households who otherwise would be unable to participate.
These efforts include two community-wide concert events, holding bake sales, eliciting
corporate sponsorships, and engaging in a student letter-writing campaign. In the past, we have
needed to raise enough funds to cover about 15% of the entire trip. We are hoping the City can
help us by giving a $20,000 grant, which is roughly half of what we will need to fundraise to
ensure that every student can have this unique educational experience.
As the City is aware, the Santa Monica High School Orchestra Program maintains a tradition of
excellence in music performance and education, providing an opportunity for students of all
levels to develop their potential as musicians. The nationally recognized Samohi Orchestras
have received many awards including The American String Teachers (ASTA) and National
Orchestra Festival’s Grand Championship. In past years, the Symphony orchestra has performed
internationally in Argentina, Uruguay, Austria, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, and China,
and domestically in Carnegie Hall, New York, and Washington D.C. We are extremely grateful
that the City of Santa Monica has been generous to our program in the past, and we hope that
once again, the City will help in providing financial assistance so that no student is left out. We
hope we can count on you again with a $20,000 grant for the Symphony Tour Fund, operated
through the Santa Monica Arts Parents Association (SMAPA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization (Tax ID No. 95-2563339).
We thank you for your ongoing support.
Joni Swenson and Jason Aiello, Directors of Orchestras, Santa Monica High School
Shireen Rafat and Kim Nemoy, Symphony Tour Co-Chairs