Edition No. 5
In this Edition
Arts and Culture
Conspirare, a Grammy®-winning virtuoso choir, reminds us of the unmatched power of unity through a unique quodlibet of popular songs.
Community and Family
The Walt Disney Family Museum offers an artistic glimpse into The World of Tomorrow. Tour the exhibit with your whole family — without ever leaving home.
Our American Values
When will your absentee ballot be counted? The New York Times presents a state-by-state explanation; learn what to expect on — and after — election day.
Conspirare: A Company of Voices performs
I Love You/What a Wonderful World
Curated by Brooks Hoste, Vice President of Community Engagement and Programming at The War Memorial
This election week, as our nation lingers uneasily in division and discord, and as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads exponentially, I’ve been reflecting on choral music as a metaphor of unity. Multiple voices, each with their unique timbre and gentle variances of intonation, join together to form one ensemble — breathing together, feeling together, and focusing together on the production of one perfect sound. The metaphor isn’t hard to find; what glorious notes we as a society could sing, if we could only find a lasting spirit of togetherness and love.
In my pondering, one particular performance kept coming to the forefront of my mind: Conspirare’s quodlibet of I Love You/What a Wonderful World, arranged by Craig Hella Johnson, the choir’s artistic director — and in this recording, the soloist and pianist. This piece is stunningly fitting for today, reminding us all to find wonder in the world around us, and to engage in and celebrate the countless acts of kindness and love each day offers.
A Personal Sidenote with Local Interest
Someone very dear to my heart is a member of Conspirare, and she is featured prominently in this particular video: my voice teacher, conducting professor, and all-around musical mentor, Wendy Bloom. You’ll see her close-up at 1:54. I had the privilege of studying under Ms. Bloom at Concordia University in Ann Arbor from 1998–2002, and am honored to enjoy her friendship to this day.
Conspirare is a Grammy®-winning virtuoso choir comprised of distinctive solo artists who are also committed to the highest level of ensemble performance. These professional singers travel to Austin, Texas, from around the country to perform together, providing audiences with a rare level of choral music making.
If you’d like to view more of Conspirare’s videos, please click or tap here.
The Walt Disney Family Museum
The World of Tomorrow: A Virtual Community Art Exhibition
Located in the Presidio in San Fransisco, the Walt Disney Family Museum presents an inspirational journey through the life of Walter Elias Disney. Their mission is two-fold: to inform present and future generations about the man and, through his story, to inspire them to heed their imagination and persevere in pursuing their goals.
As part of the Walt Disney Family Museum’s mission to enlighten and educate future generations, they have striven to highlight the importance of growth through adversity and how the adversity Walt faced shaped him to be one of the great innovators of the 20th century. A thrilling new virtual art exhibition, The World of Tomorrow draws inspiration from Walt’s ambition to keep moving forward and design a brighter future. The exhibition features works created by the museum’s global community; inspired by each artist’s vision for a “world of tomorrow,” the diverse selection of family-friendly paintings, drawings, photographs, and 3D objects is available to view from the comfort of your home!
Virtual Tour and Museum Highlights
Anyone in the world can experience and enjoy The Walt Disney Family Museum with their Virtual Tour and Museum Highlights. Benefitting from a wide range of embedded digital media content — including exclusive archived audio clips from a 1956 interview with Walt — the Virtual Tour brings Walt’s inspirational message directly to people’s streamable devices. Guests of all ages can learn about Walt’s early endeavors and struggles, his storytelling principles, and the technological innovations that made classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) possible. Narrated by voiceover artists and producing partners Camille Dixon and Bill Rogers — recognized for their contributions to commercial broadcasts and theme parks — the Virtual Tour will be offered free to the public for a limited time.
How Quickly Will Your Absentee Vote Be Counted?
A State-by-State Timeline
Curated by Michael Montgomery, Fundraising Counsel at The War Memorial
“Because of the surge in mail ballots that need to be counted, if the presidential race is close, the winner may not be known on election night.” The New York Times recently looked state-by-state at how mail and absentee ballots will be handled for Tuesday’s election. The Times created graphics for all 50 states giving dates for three specific parts of the process: pre-processing (signature verification and similar activities); tabulation of the ballots; and “Ballot Deadline” (the Times’ term for dates by which an official count must be complete for any given state). According to the Times, “Some states begin this work weeks in advance and others are only allowed to begin on Election Day. States that begin early may have a lot more results counted by election night.” Follow this link to see where Michigan and other states fall on this spectrum.
Presidential battleground states: Currently, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — two critical swing states — do not begin pre-processing ballots until Election Day, meaning they may take longer to have results. Michigan, another important state, begins pre-processing just 10 hours before Election Day. Florida, by contrast, allows ballots to begin to be pre-processed 40 days before Election Day. Source: The New York Times.
The Nonprofit Journal Project:
Michigan’s Nonprofits Fight for Their Financial Future Amid Pandemic
by Jenn McKee, first published Wednesday, October 21, 2020 on Second Wave Michigan
“I think that an increase in giving in the midst of a global pandemic speaks well of Americans. They see need and they want to help.”
How has the pandemic been affecting Michigan’s nonprofits, financially speaking?
Well, perhaps not surprisingly, the answer’s complicated.
“The funding landscape for this year has been as diverse as the nonprofit sector itself,” said Donna Murray-Brown, President and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.
This is to say, the kind of fiscal year you’re having as a nonprofit largely depends on both the services you offer and the nature of your funding distribution.
“For organizations that were able to make a strong case to their donors that they are addressing the health, social and economic challenges of COVID-19, philanthropy has continued to be very strong,” said Steve Ragan, Executive Vice President at Hope Network, a Michigan nonprofit that provides services to people with disabilities. “In fact, it has often been earned revenue, not philanthropy, that has been hit hardest. This is especially true for hospitals, universities, arts and culture nonprofits.”
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Community Engagement team at bhoste@warmemorial.org.