The Plight of Musical Gypsies - By Laura Olivieri

More than 25; that’s the number of venues Maricopa Music Circle and Maricopa Chorus, MARICOPA’S ONLY PUBLIC CLASSICAL MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS, have performed in. We’ve played in churches, coffee houses, schools, private homes, community centers, libraries, conference rooms, gymnasiums, lobbies, and two actual theaters.

~

We’ve rehearsed in at least 10 different locations, all but two of those were private homes. We have to take our show on the road, sometimes week to week, to keep the music coming since our humble beginnings in 2011 and 2013.

~

While we’d like to think that a nomadic lifestyle is romantic and fun, it takes a lot of effort, coordination, time and MONEY. Moving instruments, sound equipment, seating and lights once or twice a week is nearly a herculean effort and our costs have more than doubled in the last three years.

~

Did you KNOW that there’s an orchestra here – or a chorus – that YOU could join? Did you know that there are concerts to attend?  So many Maricopa residents don’t know, because there isn’t a place for us. Organizations like ours, without a permanent home are hard to know where to find.

~

And now, we’re homeless, again. It only takes one policy change at a local institution – and we hit the pavement. So here we are at the start of our 15th season, looking once again for places to perform and rehearse. 

~

Finding space isn’t terribly difficult if we had unlimited funding, but it’s a real stretch for non-profit groups like ours, even with grant funding and savings.

~

We need a home that our volunteer cast and hearty band of followers can come to expect and enjoy.  We need a place where we can grow – where we can focus our effort on MAKING MUSIC instead of worrying about where we will be next and if we have the funds to cover it.  We could rehearse in someone’s home – but having 22 people in one’s living room is far from ideal. And as we add cast and instruments, we have steadily outgrown our habitat.

~

So, what do we need, Maricopa? We need space and time. We need a physical sponsor for rehearsals, especially.

~

Do you have a conference space, lobby, sanctuary or office that’s unused in the evening hours? Would you like a nice tax deduction, your name on all of our promotional material, and concert tickets in perpetuity?

~

We’re grown, responsible adults, who will take care of your space as if it’s our own. We’re insured, we don’t need a babysitter, and we leave everything exactly as we found it. AND we can pay – not a lot – but also not nothing. You would be giving music a home in Maricopa and be the Hero of the Gypsies.

~

Contact Laura Olivieri, co-director and violist for Maricopa Music Circle at maricopamusiccircle@yahoo.com or 520.510.4107.