Let The Music Play at Without Limits

Having attended NYLC’s 23rd annual National Service-Learning Conference in early 2012, my colleagues at the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) and I were excited to hear that the next installment of this incredible event would arrive on our front porch here in Denver in 2013.

When the good people at NYLC asked if I would help to organize entertainment for the conference, immediately my eyes widened and mind raced. With a few minor connections (or so I thought) to “The Music Business,” I envisioned blowing the proverbial roof off this place. I would bring in the biggest local acts – a growing list that includes some well-known bands with national hits – and mix it up with some dance groups, big bands, marching bands, and local flavor like mariachi and powwow. To top it off, I’d reach out to some out-of-state connections to really rock the Colorado Convention Center.

I was ready. I was excited. I was extremely confident.

And then reality set in – I was a bit delusional.

Phone calls and email inquiries went unanswered. When some bands did take my call, I was quickly grounded by some exorbitant and unyielding demands – from monetary compensation to backstage “riders” fit for the likes of The Rolling Stones or Madonna. Yes, I knew I was swinging for the fences by going after some relatively big-name acts, but I did think I would strike out so many times.

I surprised myself by being surprised that some national acts with major 2013 tours already on the books weren’t willing or able to put on a 25-minute set for a great cause.

When I did manage a minor breakthrough and began to draw some interest from an act, it quickly became apparent that many musicians and entertainers have a hard time agreeing to a performance that is scheduled three or four months down the road. Some made commitments on a Monday only to send a late-night email on Wednesday indicating a change of plans.

Oy. A bit of panic set in. Would I let down the NYLC? The entertainment at the 2012 conference in Minneapolis was so good, so varied, and so professional, that I no longer imagined surpassing that effort – I just wanted to get close.

And then some area colleagues stepped in to save the day.

Lisa Guilfoile, my office neighbor and co-worker at the NCLC, got things on track by suggesting longtime Denver favorite Wendy Woo, who has played some of the most popular venues around the country. Wendy was the first to agree to play, and she broke the ice.

Then Dr. Ana-Maria Medina, an assistant professor of Spanish at Metropolitan State University of Denver, joined the committee and rattled off a long list of potential acts in 10-minute phone conversation. That really got the ball rolling.

Soon, my inbox and voicemail were filling up. Musicians, magicians, poets, artists, and dancers were reaching out – word was getting around fast. One musician who has agreed to perform, Scott Milroy, said he would take the day off from his 9-to-5 job just because he wanted to be part of this wonderful event. One young comedian said he didn’t have any performances online that we could review, but he offered to come down to our office here in Denver to show us what he can do – that offer, let’s just say, remains up in the air.

With the holiday season here and everyone’s schedule packed full, it seems like there hasn’t been enough time to make this work perfectly. And there still are a few holes left to fill, and the dates of the conference are only getting closer.

However, thanks to help of our service-learning and youth-minded friends, along with the sterling reputation of the NYLC, there indeed will be entertainment to give us all a little boost throughout the day.

Let the music play!

Brady Delander is an assistant editor for the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) at the Education Commission of the States (ECS) in Denver.