Music has the profound ability to influence both its listeners and performers—and organ music is no exception. Each of our upcoming organ performances is a testament to the power of music, and we are thrilled to be soon showcasing the talents of organists Nicole Keller, Bryan Anderson, and Alcée Chriss. Through their talents, their unique programs, and their inspiring dedication to music education, these impactful performers aim to deepen appreciation for organ music and are fostering the next generation of musicians through their teachings. On February 9, we will welcome concert artist, chamber musician, and continuo player Nicole Keller to the spotlight for her Longwood debut. Assistant Professor of Music and University Organist at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Keller has performed around the world and in such venues as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Paris. She specializes in eclectic programs suited to instrument and audience with a desire to expand the listener’s horizons, pairing familiar sounds and genres with those less familiar. At the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Keller teaches private lessons, as well as courses in organ literature and sacred music. She is frequently invited to teach masterclasses and workshops at music schools, universities, and conventions around the country. As a teacher, Keller strives to foster and model a commitment to excellence in performance, scholarship, and self-growth as students deepen their love of music and their instrument. “So much of our own personalities emerge in our music making, which makes working with developing young musicians quite an adventure, “she shares. “Watching them grow is always a good reminder to myself of the need to learn and grow both as a musician and as a human being and to enjoy myself in the process. It also keeps me on my toes, as there is always the need to set an example for those you are teaching in everything that you do.” When choosing a program, she always thinks of the instrument, the venue, and the potential audience. She chooses music that will bring out the best features of the instrument and introduce the audience to something new and interesting—including her upcoming performance at Longwood, during which she will focus on the world of Florence Price, Nadia Boulanger, and William Grant Still. “In settings such as Longwood Gardens, it is fun to imagine the organ as an orchestra of seemingly infinite colors and sonic possibilities that the audience can connect to in some personal way,” shares Keller. “It’s always my goal that each member of the audience hears something that sounds familiar that they enjoy as well as encounter something new that just might blow their minds a bit!” On March 22, the Longwood Organ will be featured as part of the week-long Philadelphia Organ Festival. This event is hosted by Partners for Sacred Places, the nation’s oldest and leading nonsectarian nonprofit that builds public support for the preservation and active use of historic pipe organs in Philadelphia’s sacred places. They have partnered with performing arts organizations, such as Longwood Gardens, to support performances that expand access, audiences, and interest in the pipe organ, music-making, and the sacred places so integral to many of the region’s great neighborhoods. During the festival’s stop at Longwood, with a performance called Romance in the Garden: Franck and Rachmaninoff at Longwood, our organ will be showcased by 2016 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition Firmin Swinnen Second Prize winner Alcée Chriss. Chriss currently serves as University Organist and Artist-in-Residence at Wesleyan University, where he teaches courses in organ and keyboard skills to his students. His goal as a teacher is to ensure his students' comfort across different genres and styles. In addition to being fantastic musicians, he prepares them for a changing musical landscape where versatility is considered an asset. The program he has prepared for his performance at Longwood reflects this as well, as it aims to show off the many styles and genres for which the organ is suited. His carefully selected program will showcase the many different roles of the organ—both as a collaborative instrument and as a solo instrument. “The subtleties of the organ's timbre and charm become all the more rewarding when blending with the sonorities of a live orchestra,” shares Chriss. “More importantly I want to show off a diverse repertoire that demonstrates both the [seriousness] of the stalwarts of Romantic repertoire, as well as more popular music that speaks to the emotional instincts of the audience.” With this meticulously curated setlist, Chriss’s performance will surely lead us on a journey of musical experience and exploration, with music from César Franck’s great masterwork, Symphony in D Minor—excerpts from Rachmaninoff’s vivid Symphonic Dances, and more. On April 26, we have the honor of welcoming Bryan Anderson back to Longwood for his solo performance debut. Anderson was crowned winner of the Pierre S. Du Pont First Prize during the most recent 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, as well as the winner of the AGO Philadelphia Chapter Prize, which recognizes outstanding performance of the judges’ choice piece. Anderson also competed in the 2019 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition—winning the Firmin Swinnen Second Prize that competition year. Anderson enjoys a versatile career as an organist, church musician, teacher, and musical collaborator. He has completed nearly one dozen original orchestral transcriptions, including works by Duruflé, Alkan, Debussy, and Dave Brubeck and enjoys utilizing these arrangements in recitals. In his current position as Director of Music at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School in Houston, Anderson trains all ages of choirs from elementary ages through adults, oversees eight services per week, and organizes a concert season of guest artists and in-house ensembles. “Performance and teaching both involve the unfamiliar,” shares Anderson. “The question is always whether a listener is in a receptive state to unfamiliar sounds or concepts, and what can be done by the performer to lead them in that direction. This can be a fraught endeavor: there is a line by Samuel Butler that ‘the only things we really hate are unfamiliar things,’ and that is often true in music! Conversely, we are all excited by the idea of discovering and being surprised by new experiences. The difference can inhere in the presentation and is something that I always take very seriously in programming recitals. Personally, I love finding completely unfamiliar music, and I want other people to find that excitement with me.” Anderson is certainly no stranger to the unique performance setting of Longwood, as well as the Longwood Organ—the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting, composed of a staggering 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks. During his April performance, Anderson will treat us to Marcel Dupré’s Nympheas, as well as music by Elgar and Gunnar Idenstam. “One thing I've always appreciated about the setup for organ events at Longwood Gardens is that it relies on this principle of ‘show, don't tell.’ For someone being introduced to the instrument, just walking behind the organ and seeing the pipe chambers through clear walls, something not possible almost anywhere else, does a great deal to teach and excite new audiences. Approaching the planning of a recital program at Longwood in the spring, I'm excited myself to continue to explore communication, education, and new experiences in performance.”
Whether you are unfamiliar with the organ or are a longtime enthusiast, our upcoming organ performances promise something for everyone. We invite you to join us and be moved by these musical celebrations of the Longwood Organ! Editor’s note: Tickets are available now for our Nicole Keller, Alcée Chriss, and Bryan Anderson performances.
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Emerging small business trends are reshaping how businesses will operate this year and beyond. Technology that was recently only available to larger corporations with big budgets is now within reach of small businesses. Innovations in energy and sustainability are also more accessible to small businesses. The global economy and societal changes are creating new risks–and opportunities. Jump to section:
1. Sustainability continues to be a priority for customers Sustainability matters to your customers. When it comes to consumers, 60% say they are willing to pay more for a product with sustainable packaging, and 78% consider maintaining a lifestyle that is sustainable is important. B2B customers also consider sustainability to be vital to business. Many are beginning to follow the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain Standard for measuring, accounting for and reporting “Scope 3” carbon emissions along the value chain. That includes carbon from inputs to products and services you may provide. For both businesses and consumers, small business energy trends focus on sustainability and efficiency. 2. Businesses are making sustainability a core business practice One of the most significant small business trends for 2024 is, indeed, the mainstreaming of sustainability. You have many options for adopting sustainable practices that can slash your small business energy consumption. From rethinking product inputs, manufacturing methods, packaging and distribution to offering public transit credits and work-from-home options, your business can reduce its environmental impact. Don’t overlook waste reduction, recycling, upgrading to energy-efficient equipment and even buying carbon offsets as ways to be more sustainable. 3. Transparency and sustainability data collection is becoming increasingly important To ensure your sustainability efforts aren’t seen as just green-washing, you will want to measure and document your efforts and your results. Transparency is among the trends in small business gaining traction now. Government regulations and third-party guidance are helping companies accurately disclose sustainability information. Beyond compliance with reporting regulations, you have plenty to gain when you tell your small business sustainability story with specificity and with proof. 4. AI is creating new opportunities for saving energy Smart hubs and smart devices that use AI can optimize resource use, improve energy efficiency, and ultimately help reduce your business’s environmental impact. AI apps are coming on the market that capture your energy usage data with real-time monitoring to identify where you are wasting energy. They can look through patterns and trends and predict your future usage. Using smart assistants in the workplace, they can then optimize usage throughout your facility for energy and cost-savings. Top 8 small business technology trends for 2024Small business technology trends for 2024 include applications that improve efficiency and help you find new opportunities. Technologies that provide data, insights and controls create options that you can use in your small business planning and operations. Here are the top small business technology trends that may be useful for your company. 1. Generative AI and automation are speeding up daily tasks Machine learning, also called generative AI, is rapidly gaining acceptance in many kinds of small businesses. It can simplify and speed up tasks, lower costs, increase productivity, reduce risk, and make your company more flexible and responsive. You may find it worthwhile to add chatbot features, for example, to your website and phone automation system to help people quickly get answers to common questions. Popular CRM platforms are offering AI for analyzing and optimizing your communications. AI is streamlining accounting and pointing out risks early. You can also use generative AI to automate many business processes. You may be able to trim staff or move your people to more valuable tasks. It is no wonder that some 41 percent of businesses have adopted AI solutions already. 2. Digital integration is transforming how small businesses work with their space The rise in remote work is causing businesses to rethink their processes, tools and even staffing decisions. Technology trends in small businesses are opening opportunities to innovate for efficiency and profit. Converting to a paperless office is now a necessity, with staff working across town, across the country, and even across the globe. Now is a good time to explore smart sensors and similar office productivity gadgets that can make space and resource use more efficient. For example, smart plugs and smart thermometers can monitor energy use and office climate to give you the data your systems need to improve energy efficiency. 3. 5G wireless technology is improving communication and data processing Communication and data are vital to every business. Reliable and fast connections using fifth generation connectivity technology (5G) can improve speeds–up to 100 times faster than 4G. More data on more devices powering more activities means you can better collaborate and share large files and rich data. Online meetings are now commonplace. Many conferences offer a virtual option in addition to in-person meetings. Visualization technology is offering immersive virtual experiences that are ideal for product demonstrations. Monitoring and AI are capturing more data and making it more useful.The possibilities are just beginning for this 2024 small business technology trend. 4. Hybrid and remote work models are continuing to evolve The number of people working from home more than tripled from 5.7% of workers in 2019 to 17.9% of workers in 2022, according to a U.S. Census Bureau Report released in early 2023. A Pew Research survey reports that 41% of people who have jobs that can be done remotely now work from home on a hybrid schedule that mixes at-home with on-site work. Working remotely has become the “new normal.” The result is that many companies are investing in ways to make telecommuting more attractive and feasible. You may wish to look into ways of adapting your in-person business model. Remote work opens your company to a wider pool of qualified workers. You can keep valuable employees, even if a spouse or partner moves to a new job, negating the need to hire and train a replacement. Productivity is higher, as is job satisfaction. Remote workers usually operate from their home offices, sometimes using their own computers, printers and other equipment. You may not need to spend now to replace outdated technology in the workplace. Perhaps you can use that money instead to add technologies such as digital conferencing, shared virtual workspaces, and secure file transfer protocols. 5. Big data is helping create a personalized, seamless customer experience It is increasingly likely that your company is capturing more data and that you can buy data to help you understand your customers better. This so-called “big data” is useful for market research, trend spotting, predicting demand, optimizing your operations, and planning investments. When you understand your customers, you can personalize a customer’s experience and anticipate needs–possibly better and faster than the competition. 6. Cybersecurity is becoming essential for protecting company and customer data The future of business technology is rapidly evolving. Cybersecurity is essential to all businesses, no matter how small. Companies increasingly rely on CRMs, augmented analytics and edge computing to be more efficient and to eliminate mistakes. Data has also become more valuable and more attractive to thieves. Investing in cybersecurity technology, processes and training should be a priority to protect your customers and your business. With the rise of remote working and cloud computing, cybersecurity is both more challenging and important. Compliance with national, state and local cybersecurity laws and regulations is a complex problem for many small businesses and can come with significant costs. 7. Small businesses are finding ways to use VR and other immersive technologies Not too long ago, virtual reality was science fiction or something for the gamer world. Now, businesses are finding uses for virtual, augmented and mixed reality to create immersive experiences. Companies are jumping on this small business trend for training employees, conducting market research, demonstrating products, conducting virtual meetings and providing virtual shopping experiences. 8. Social media is continuing to help businesses digitally engage their customers Though social media has now been around for decades, the pace of change and the way it is being used by small businesses continues to evolve. We can still talk about it as a small business tech trend even as we enter the third decade of the social media revolution. Companies are becoming more adept at using social media platforms for customer service, marketing and public relations and even crowd-sourcing and co-creating business ideas. As a tool for reaching customers digitally, social media remains a way to experiment and engage, with a blurring of lines between your website, advertising and social presence. The Facebook platform remains popular, but TikTok has become a force to be reckoned with, especially with younger people. You will need a multichannel approach and have to keep an eye on new platforms and new use patterns. 3 financial trends for small businesses in 2024 World events, domestic politics, and social evolution across all markets have put pressure on the economy and financial institutions. From cryptocurrency to the decline of cash, to deficit spending, things are happening in the world that make it important to stay vigilant and nimble. You will need all your fingers and toes to count the ways the financial world is changing–and that will affect your business. 1. Inflation is projected to fall compared to 2023 Inflation is on the minds of small business leaders, affecting the cost of goods, prices, and what you pay to finance operations. Keep in mind that energy costs don’t always follow general economy price trends. For businesses, they are often one of the biggest costs in your budget. The latest Consumer Price Index rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months from December 2022 to December 2023. That is down from 9.1% in June 2022. The trend of slowing inflation is expected to continue. It remains worthwhile to understand how inflation and energy costs affect your business. Controlling costs is likely to remain a necessary strategy in 2024. 2. Interest rates are likely to remain high The U.S. Federal Reserve targets a 2% inflation rate. Slowing inflation will make your planning easier and will relieve stress on your finances. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has held interest rates steady for the time being, but may reduce them in 2024. Not everyone agrees these goals and predictions will become reality. Financial leaders like JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Peter Schiff, CEO and chief global strategist at Euro Pacific Capital and others, see an economy and interest rates that continue to challenge businesses. Using extreme care when it comes to debt is the best way to face the uncertainties and risks of the coming year. 3. Consumer spending is expected to slow in 2024 Given the dual effects of higher prices and credit that is more expensive, spending is likely to slow across the board. Two quarters of negative growth used to be the definition of a recession, which happened in 2022. We saw a slowdown in 2023, as well. The declines were slight and were contradicted by other indicators. A real recession, however, is possible for 2024, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Determining which trends matter most for your businessKeeping an eye on general small business trends will help you understand the context for your business in terms of technology, energy efficiency, sustainability and your finances. That said, how these factors will affect your industry, your region and your business can vary tremendously. Your business can certainly boom in a down economy. The ability of your business to save energy and pursue sustainability targets will depend on your situation. The same goes for taking advantage of small business tech trends. What can be said across all trends is that it is always possible to find opportunities. You’ll also see risks to avoid. The important thing is to always be on the lookout for both. |
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