UMS Interns attend APAP conference in NYC

UMS Interns Rob Vuichard, Liz Georgoff, Leonard Navarro, Liz Stover, Amy Fingerle, and Erica Ruff volunteered at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters annual conference in New York City this past month. APAP conference volunteers work about 4 hours a day over the course of 3-4 days in exchange for free admission to the conference. If you're a student and interested in attending the APAP conference in future years, please visit their website at: http://www.artspresenters.org/


Read about the UMS interns experiences at the January 2007 conference below!

By Rob Vuichard, UMS Marketing Intern

As I took my seat for takeoff from LaGuardia International to Detroit, the experience of my four long days in New York City began to sink in. Although I was exhausted and days behind in school work, it didn’t seem to matter, I had experienced four intense and creative days at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference (APAP). Initially, I had signed up as a student volunteer at the conference, so that I may take part in the extensive events, performances and talks that were being held throughout New York. What I expected out of the experience of APAP ended up being nothing close to what I actually got out of being a part of in those four days!

As a conference volunteer, I was able to meet many students who had flown in for the event from all over the country. I found most students had volunteered as part of their university or college degree program(s) in arts management. At this realization, I was made aware that I, as well as the six University Musical Society interns who had come to the conference, had really done so on our own initiative; committed to interfacing with the unique world of arts presenting, we did so professionally and independently of our affiliation at the University of Michigan. Since none of us are currently in a degree program pertaining to arts management or administration, we only had our knowledge and experience of working at UMS. In short, we had come to APAP to get our very curious feet wet, but as we were all soon to find out, we ended up getting soaked!

If having backstage access and a chat with one of the stars of Broadway’s smash-hit production “The Color Purple” wasn’t enough, having the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Dana Gioia, the Director of the National Endowment of the Arts, certainly was. If nothing else, the best part of the trip to New York was being introduced to the many influential people working as directors of top college arts centers from Arizona State, Penn State, University of Illinois and the University of Maryland, just to name a few. Being introduced as a member of the UMS team certainly made me realize how proud UMS president, Ken Fischer was to have a committed group of young and interested UMS interns asking questions and making intelligent conversation with conference members long after volunteer hours were over.

What topped the weekend off was getting the opportunity to see three new dance works by New York choreographers in the West Village, with UMS Director of Programming, Michael Kondziolka. Blown away by the work of Carol Armitage and her dancers, Michael and I left the Baryshnikov dance center on 37^th street proud to have caught the short thirty minute showcase, reminding each other how much we’d love to see the group come to Ann Arbor. And in that moment, I realized that the University Musical Society is an amazing organization. Committed to finding the best of what the arts community has to offer, the people who I work with each week are truly committed to putting up a unique and diverse series of dance, theater and music for the Ann Arbor community, an experience and dedication that you won’t find just anywhere. If I was to say I learned anything over my weekend in New York City, it was in realizing what a unique and rare opportunity I have had as an intern for UMS these past two years. The weekend trip, as well as the long hours spent in the UMS Liberty St. office, is really something that I will always remember. I can only say thank you to the people who have helped to make the opportunities such as the APAP conference a reality.

By Amy Fingerle, UMS Marketing Intern

As our group of five UMS interns and one from the Ann Arbor Symphony boarded an evening flight to LaGuardia airport, I had no idea by how much the APAP conference would defy my expectations. I had a couple of showcases picked out that I wanted to see, but other than that, I was starting the conference with a completely blank slate. Of course, we were all going to volunteer at the conference, but most importantly we were there to represent UMS. My time as a volunteer at was fun, but my time as an intern was better. Ken Fischer, UMS president, took such great care of all of the interns. He introduced us to literally EVERYONE and really helped us to feel at home at the conference. From seeing Dan Zanes in the second floor lobby on the first day, to meeting Zarin Mehta (President & CEO of the New York Philharmonic) on the last, it was a weekend full of fun surprises.

I had always heard that UMS was up there with the major arts presenters in the country, but never did I realize the instant respect others in the field gave to those associated with this organization. The APAP conference allowed me to see the bigger picture and understand how the work I am doing for UMS contributes to its success, even if it is something as simple as hanging a poster in a store window. Volunteering at the conference was more than just a chance to get away for a weekend; it was one of the many opportunities UMS has given me to explore what lies ahead in the field of arts presenting.

By Leonard Navarro, UMS Education Intern

Many of us that work for organizations like the University Musical Society take extreme pride in what we do. Our time is devoted to workshops, projects and performances each demanding our interest, focus and daresay a bit of our hearts. When my family asks what I do, I usually say something like, "Oh, I work for an Arts Presenters organization that focus on Cultural enrichment within the community and promoting artists for the betterment of music, dance, theatre, visual and other performing arts." …It is at this point that the blank stares and quizzical reactions take effect. Indeed, being new to
UMS, and freshly from a Performing Arts High School and the International School of the Americas in the heart of South Texas, UMS seemed something of a mystery to me. The organization was filled with deadlines, posters around every corner, meetings going on in every space and card board boxes that no one really knew the contents of. It was a blessing to find that other students were working in the office, each as diligently as the other. Thus began the creation of a group known as i-team. I-team WAS a think-tank of knowledge and problem solving skills that lacked a solidifying bond of some kind. It is
my belief that that bond was created in the electrifying atmosphere that is APAP.

As a team, an i-team if you will, we met one cold afternoon in a coffee shop to schedule our flights, combine schedules and book accommodations for the Conference. We really did not know exactly what we were getting ourselves into. Would we really be the right representatives? Was it worth our time? Were we really into this complex Arts Presenting world? A resounding yes flooded through our minds as we landed at La Guardia airport in New York City.

Once at the conference, our immediate response can be described best as mildly terrifying. We were given so many opportunities that we really created a juncture in our understanding of what UMS is. Noticeably, the relationships created by UMS and most definitely our earnest staff led by Ken Fischer, (known eloquently as "The Fish") were incredible. I had the pleasure to attend the Arab Leadership seminar and discussion and in no way could the team of interns or anyone else have gained that wisdom and knowledge without the focus and energy of UMS. The moments like this caused the team to take a
breath and really grasp what fortunate tools were in our grasp. Raw knowledge, artistic connections, and self enrichment were in our hands no matter where we went.

At the University of Michigan I study Musical Theatre at the prestigious Music School. Since childhood I have been wooed by the performing arts and actor singers. While at APAP I stumbled upon a showcase that was a unified performance of everything I hope to become. The showcase was for the management company “On Spot Management,” which represents such artists as Stephen Schwartz, (writer of the mega-musical WICKED), and singers like Lauren Kennedy, Christine Ebersole, Adam Pascal, Alice Ripley and Ken Page, ALL of whom can be found on the i-pod of any Musical Theatre Major in the United States. Seeing their performances in the intimate setting of a conference room in the lobby of the Hilton was mind blowing. What were garnered there were artistic tools that I could carry with me for my own uses as a performer, and moreover from whom better than the Broadway stars of my time.

The i-team very quickly created bonds as we sat in the famed Broadway theatre and watched the Tony Winning performance of THE COLOR PURPLE. Though I admittedly cried more than any other person in the orchestra section we were all greatly moved. In the late evenings we usually had the opportunity to visit the Major University Presenters Suite (Codenamed M.U.P.S.) at the Hilton. There, many great people had the ability to sit and converse about the brilliant experiences we had gone through during that day. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack spoke with the interns about her passion for Artistic Creation and how that was the basis for her work. This was a point that rings in the ears of any performer. She later that week went on to win the Fan Taylor Distinguished Service Award, the most prestigious award given at the conference. We can pride ourselves on knowing her before she became famous!

As our trip was coming to an end, the reflections back on the entire excursion were filled with really an honor of knowing what we had been a part of. I-team has a relationship that will continue to benefit UMS and all that we effect and just as great we each have a stronger understanding of the business AND passion that goes hand in hand with Arts Presenting. Thank you to the rest of the team and especially to those that are our mentors at UMS. It was a great pleasure and we hope and intend to see you again next year!

By Liz Georgoff, UMS Marketing Intern Looking back at the APAP conference, I find it surprisingly appropriate that the word “new” is in the name of the city that where the conference was held: New York. This is because I had the most new experiences condensed into a four day period than probably ever before in my life. These new experiences were broad and diverse and what I learned from them has made my work and relationships at UMS more meaningful.

Being at the conference, (which was held in practically every available space at the Hilton in Manhattan) I was amazed by the massive scale of professionals in the arts presenting field gathered there. When Ken [Fischer, President of UMS] guided us through the resource room, which was essentially three banquet halls filled with hundreds of booths displaying every kind of artist and their work, usually divided by dance/theater company or talent agent, I got to see the “other” part of what goes on in the field. I recognized many of the agencies of artists that we’ve hosted at UMS. Seeing all of this put into perspective the wide range of artists UMS’s Programming Director Michael Kondziolka sifts through in order to determine who ends up performing at Hill Auditorium and how artists and arts presenters even come together. I realized that Ken Fischer knows everyone in the business, and everyone knows him. I remember walking past a booth and hearing a man say to another, “There’s Ken Fischer, the president of UMS and some interns. He always seems to bring interns but this time he has quite an entourage.” I couldn’t help but laugh and feel proud of UMS and the fact that I was there. It became apparent that UMS is a pretty big deal. I came to understand this, for example, from the positive responses I got from both presenters and exhibitors (artists/agents) when I identified myself as an intern at UMS.

I realized that a lot of what goes on in this field is dependent on relationships and who knows who. I got to meet a lot of incredible and important people, through my affiliation with UMS and Ken in the Major University Presenter’s Suite (aka the MUP’s suite), the most notable to me being Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Arizona State University’s version of Ken who told me that the only key to success is to follow your passion. Following a passion such as the arts can seem to be taking a shaky path for one’s future in comparison to the UM engineers or pre-law majors; her comment and this conference showed me how many opportunities there are for someone as in love with art and culture as myself and that UMS has already opened doors for me. My fellow members of I-Team (which stands for Intern Team), shared my excitement over the discovery of possible career paths. We also shared the experience of seeing the Color Purple and an excursion backstage to meet one of the actresses. In addition, we shared in experiences such as being ripped off on a late night meal and drink in Times Square, seeing Sarah Jessica Parker in the Hilton lobby at 1:30 am, pretending to have money in Prada on 5^th Avenue, feeling swanky in the 45^th floor penthouse, seeing showcases for free of the Second City and an Australian a capella group and having a photo shoots in newly purchased hats and windy elevators. The list could go on, but I know that I-Team truly became a cohesive team from this trip.

It was new for me to not wear jeans for four days in a row, to be treated like an adult, to spend almost forty dollars on dinner and to hand out business cards. But it was all incredible and gave me a preview of the kind of career and adult life that I could one day have. Attending this conference was like finding those last pieces to a puzzle; it had helped me to step back and look at UMS and see how it fits into the larger field of arts presenting and essentially the role that presenting art has in a society’s culture. For example, through Ken’s panel discussion on “Presenting Iraq” I learned that presenting the art of different cultures can in fact do significant work in facilitating cultural tolerance which can ultimately ease political and cultural tensions. Before the trip I remember listening to Frank Sinatra’s song, “New York, New York” in which at one point of it he croons out, “I want to be apart of it all.” Coming home, I realized I did get to be a part of it all in that I got to really participate in a process of spreading culture and art from New York to the rest of the world. Having never been to New York before, this was exactly how I wanted to experience it for the first time and I will never forget all I learned from my new experiences in New York.

By Liz Stover, UMS Programming Intern

Before I even left for the APAP conference, I was overwhelmed! I didn’t really know what to expect. My boss, Mark Jacobson (UMS Programming Manager) sent me emails daily about performances he had heard about and thought I should attend. I spent a couple hours looking through the lists of hundreds of free performance showcases, trying to plan out which ones I wanted to see. But when I arrived bright and early at 8am on Friday to fulfill some of my volunteer hours, I knew that I wouldn’t follow a schedule at all. I spent the first morning checking in conference attendees and helping them register. It was so cool to meet so many different people in the field from all over the world in those first few hours. I can’t tell you how many people noticed UMS on my name tag and expressed to me how great it was that I worked with the organization.

One of the biggest highlights of the conference was Ira Glass’ (from NPR’s This American Life) keynote speech on Saturday afternoon. I wish I had a recording or a transcript of the talk so that I could quote it (it is copyrighted), but it was centered on the question “What are the arts good for?” Even though his domain is radio, it was very inspiring to hear, especially for a young person interested in the arts like myself. He stressed how important it is for you to include personal humor in your work no matter who your audience is, so that your work will always bring you personal joy.

One of my goals for the conference was to network, and with the help of Ken and some of the UMS staff, I was introduced to so many fabulous people. Most inspiring was Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, the Executive Director of Arizona State University’s Public Events. She spent so much time speaking with our group of interns and giving us advice on how to succeed in the world of arts presenting. She is also extremely dedicated to being a mentor for women in arts presenting, and I plan to keep in contact with her as I move along in my career. She was also the recipient of this year’s Fan Taylor Distinguished Service Award in the field of presenting, and in her acceptance speech at the final Awards Luncheon she mentioned how impressed she was to have met us U-M students and how confident she was that the future of arts presenting was in good hands! I couldn’t have felt more valued and excited at that moment to be surrounded by hundreds of people in the arts presenting field. I also got to meet Zarin Mehta, President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic, and several people from the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, all places that I would love to work at someday! I also met two former UMS interns, Carla Dirlikov, a professional singer, and Erika Floreska, the Director of Education for Jazz at Lincoln Center, who both told me that working for UMS has had a very positive impact on their careers.

The weekend was an overwhelming rush, but everything came together by the time I got back on the plane to return to Ann Arbor. Working in the programming department, I’ve learned a lot about how our seasons are planned and prepared for, but I’ve only seen it from the side of the presenter. Being at the conference completed the puzzle that is arts presenting; I saw presenters, agents, and artists interacting together all in one place. I got to know other members of the UMS staff, and got even closer with the other UMS interns. I had always known that UMS was highly regarded, but the conference made me realize how lucky I am to be a part of it. UMS presents the best of the best artists out there. For anyone who reads this, you are extremely fortunate to be involved with the University Musical Society, whether you work for them, or attend an occasional concert. Thank you so much to the UMS staff members who were there and to everyone I had the chance to meet—you made my experience at APAP so worthwhile!

For information on 07/08 UMS internship positions or for information on the UMS Student Committee, please visit www.ums.org/students