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October 09, 1968 - Image 2

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1968-10-09

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

r
Page Two

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Wednesday, October 9, 1968

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Musical Society seeks key to financial quagmire

By MARCIA ABRAMSON
University Musical Society is
looking for the solution to cres-
cendoing financial problems
which caused a $115,000 deficit
last year and a predicted $51,-
000, loss next year.
The deficit was revealed at
the September Regents meeting.
'Since then, several solutions
have been suggested: a major
campaign for private gifts, free
use of Hill Aud., or other Uni-
versity subsidies.
UMS Director Gail Rector
says no one should have been
surprised by the deficit. Each
Regent was sent a report on the
society's finances after the spec-
ial Fair Lane Festival in 1967,
which Rector says accounts for
$50,000 of the loss.
UMS is not directed linked to
the Regents. The society is in-
corporated under state law as
a nonprofit educational organ-
ization.
However, University President
Robben Fleming and Vice Pres-
ident and Chief Financial Of-
ficer Wilbur K. Pierpont are
members of the society's Board
of Directors.
The UMS directors will reach
a final decision at their annual
meeting in November. They
have set up a special financial
committee which includes Pier
pont.
At the last Regents meeting,
Pleming promised, he would pro-
pose some form of University
subsidy "long before" the socie-
ty's problems indicated upcom-
ing disaster.
Rector will present a detailed
report on the society's c o s t s,
revenues and overall operations
at the next Regents meeting on
Oct. 17-18.
Fleming suggested the possib-
ility of free use of Hill Aud. at
the September session. Rental
of the facility is a major cost
for UMS. However, ector de-
clines comment on the proposal.
Rector emphasizes the pos-
sibility of a major campaign for
private gifts. UMS has received
only $5000 in endowments over
the last 20 years.'
What is confusingly called
the UMS Endowment Fund is
actually the society's investment
fund for past revenues.,

Although no concerts have
been seriously cut back, the ex-
tra concert series has been re-
aligned into a series of five
dance concerts and five cham-
ber arts concerts.
These new series replace
dance and chamber arts festi-
vals which were" held over three
day weekends for the last six
years.
"The programs are less diluted
now," Rector explains, "Re-
sponse to the changes has been
encouraging, according to the
indications from advance ticket
sales."
Ticket sales this year h a v e
been the highest in UMS his-
tory for the two series.
He also blames competition
for some of the UMS problems.
"The new Events Bldg. allows
student presentations to draw
much larger audiences than they
could before, and many of the
concert dates conflict," he says.
Part of the UMS deficit in the
coming year, Rector says, will be
determined by the costs of the
annual May Festival.
The 1968 May Festival 'cost
$10,000 more than the 1967 con-
certs.
Rector says the trimester
system has hurt attendance at
the annual event because "the
May Festival now comes in April

during final exams when fewer
students can attend."
Much of the UMS difficulty
reflects national problems. Sym-
phonies all over the country are
recording deficits and pleading
for donations, and musicians are
receiving higher wages.
Rector cites the example of
the Boston Symphony Orches-
tra, which raised musicians sal-
aries by $3500 or more this year.
UMS can expect to pay twice
as much for -major symphony
orchestras now as it did ten
years ago, Rector says.
The 1968 Choral Union Series
is costing - the society about
$1,000 more per artist and
about $500 more for mainten-
ance and advertising. There are
ten choral union concerts.
Rector is fairly confident that
UMS will solve its financial
problems because of the so-
ciety's role as a major contri-
bution to Ann Arbor's cultural
resources.
At the September Regents
meeting, Regent FrederickMat-
thaei said that UMS "looks like
a real -sick baby."
Rector counters, "The society
is a 90-year-old, healthy, prev-
ious child that needs the atten-
tion of the parent institution-
the mother of state universities
-and of the city fathers."

A m use yoursef?
Contribute prose, poetry,
drama, artwork, photographs,
non-fiction, literary criticism
-almost anything, in fact or
in fiction, to
generationl
the in16ter-arts m aazin e

Director Rector: "The society is a 90-year-old c/ild
that needs the attention of the parent .

STUD. PUB. BLDG.

420 MAYNARD ST.

deadline, first issue: October 12

The $200,000 will cover the
current deficits, but will not last
against a continued deficit.
Rector says he believes about
$50,000 could be raised ea c h
year through a campaign for
private gifts. This would bal-
ance entirely the projected.
1968-69 loss of $51,000.-
Rector attributes the disparity,
between the deficit last year
and the predicted. loss for next
year to the 1967 Fair Lane
Festival. "Fair Lane was costly
beyond our expectation," Rector
says.
UMS spent more than $50,000
on Fair Lane and received only
$4000 from the Sesquicentennial
Committee to offset costs, he
says.
"We anticipated better public
support for Fair Lane," he ex--
plains."We hoped for m o r e
gifts. The Meadowbrook Fes-
tival has to-and f does-raise
$250,000 in gifts each year," he
adds.
Rector points out that many
University alumni are involved
in Meadowbrook.
Fair Lane consisted of 11 ma-
jor concerts held on the Dear-

born Campus as part of the Ses-
quicentenlial Celebration. The
Meadowbrook Festival is a series
of concerts presented each sum-
mer on the campus of Oakland
University in Rochester.
"Fair Lane was an added
prestige presentation for t h e
University. The festival produc-
ed more favorable publicity for
the University than any other
single Sesquicentennial event,"
Rector says.
"We consider the Fair Lane
Festival the Society's contribu-
tion to the Sesquicentennal cele-
bration," he explains.
Rector points-out similar loss-
es of $70,000 and $49,000 re-
spectively at the Universities of
Minnesota and Wisconsin f o r
festivals held last summer.
However, the UMS budget for
next year include no special
event. The deficit will be due to
----

increases in expenses which
have been amounting over the
last four or five years.
This is not the first UMS de-
ficit. Increasing costs caused a
$51,000 deficit for fiscal 1967,
A plea for assistance has been
printed in the programs for this
year's UMS 'presentations:
"Along with all sponsors of
concert series throughout the
nation, the society is faced with
sharply rising artists' fees and
maintenance costs. In conse-
quence, financial support is im-
perative and is urgently solicited
from all patrons."
Ticket prices have been in-
creased gradually during the
last two years to help meet ris-
ing costs. However, Rector em-
phasizes that student s e a s o n
tickets have been kept at a
minimum price of $12.
UMS has also consolidated its
festival series to meet costs.

No"

YOUR

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The Famous Documentary Filmed in a
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Shown for the First Time in Michigan
Fri., Oct. 11, 7 and 9 P.M.
GRAND BALLROOM
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Tickets on Sale at booth on the Diag,
Thursday and Friday, and at the door

OTHER
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SHOWS AT
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NEW POLITICS
SHERIFF'S CAMPAIGN
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

HIGHEST RATING !
"AN ARTISTICT ACHIEVEMENT!"
rachel, rachel
is the best written, most seriously acted American movie in

if you don't go over to the
Student Publications Building
this week, Oct. 7 to Oct. 10,
10:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
and make a last ditch attempt
to get your SENIOR PICTURE'in the
1969 Michiganensian, so she can show
Uncle Irving you finally graduated.

'a long tittl."

THURSDAY, OCT. 10,
7:30 P.M.-3rd Floor SAB
COME AND TALK WITH "JOE"

-N.Y. TIMES
i the PAUL NEW MEAN production of
rachel.,.
TCCOlICOLOrFROMWAREPROS.-SEYEItART5U

Subscribe To
THE MICHIGAN DAILY

I LI ;

POEMS AND POLITICS
Readings by DONALD HALL
and political realities with: BERT GARSKOF
candidate for Congress
Both appearing at
CANTERBURY HOUSE
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 9:00
$1.00 Admission
Sponsored by Friends of CNP

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Coming:

BARBARELLA

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CiNEMA ii
CHANGE IN SCHEDULE
THIS WEEK, OCTOBER 11th and 12th

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RA

11

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co

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NOW

"BRILLIANT! Luis'Bunuel, a
master of cinematic erotica!"

DIALN8-6416
TONIGHT
at 7-9 P.M.

"TREASURE OF
SIERRA MADRE"I
H. BOGART
("Cincinnati Kid" will be shown Oct. 25th and 26th)

I

BILL BAIRD
Founder and Director
of

I

Friday & Saturday

Aud. A

7 5c

7:00 & 9:00

lI

Parents Aid

Society

Expert on Contraceptive Devices
and
Other Alternatives

11

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HILL AUDITORIUM

The Creatn

SUNDAY, OCT. 13th
TICKETS $1.50 on sale 10-

2:00 P.M.

I

coming
SATURDAY, OCT. 12
8 P*M. at
OLYMPIA STADIUM-Detroit

4, Wed.--Fri

I.

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on Diag and SA B Lobby Box Office
Hill Auditorium Box Office Open Sunday at noon

I

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