Glimpse of Gratitude

CANTICUM NOVUM

Annual Repor t 2020 - 2021

A GLIMPSE OF

TABLE OF

Thank you for taking time to explore the work of Music Camp International. We are honored to share who we are, what we do, when and where we do it and perhaps most important why we do it.

The mission of Music Camp International is Transforming Children, Communities and Countries through the power of music. Since 2002, we have worked with approximately 30,000 children in Romania and Ukraine, conducting week-long Music Camps for children ages 11-16. We have crossed all economic, educational, social, political and religious barriers to work with children from the finest environments to those living on a landfill in a toxic waste disposal site and institutions for special needs children that were anything but “special.”

Over 900 orphans perform at The National Opera Theater Odessa, Ukraine

In 2020, COVID changed our world. If there was ever a time when the young people of the world need healing, hope and wholeness it is now! Music speaks to both the inner soul and the outer person bringing healing, hope, dignity, connection and self-confidence. Music accelerates and facilitates literacy, math concepts and academic performance. Music makes an indelible impact in the life of a young person that remains for life. It builds strong relationships, and inspires them to “reach for the stars.”

As we expand from two countries to a global organization, we will build bridges of communication and interaction for children from all situations.

It is only through our family of donors, major supporters, and business partnerships that we are able to do this amazing work. This report is dedicated to them with the desire to give a glimpse of what gratitude looks like through the eyes of a child.

We welcome you to see our projects, feel our excitement, and participate in our future to transform the next generation through the power of music.

With a heart full of gratitude,

For those who are isolated, music brings community.

For those in despair, music brings hope.

For those who suffer the deprivation of poverty, music brings opportunity.

For those who suffer discrimination and prejudice, music brings dignity and inclusion.

We believe passionately that all children are talented and should be given love and dignity – and the opportunity and encouragement to discover and develop their talent in a positive environment. It has been a 20-year amazing journey!

Connie Fortunato Founder and President

“Transforming Children, Communities and Countries Through the Power of Music!”

Recorder Class – Coronini, Romania

Music Camp International was born in the small village of Coronini, in the southwest corner of Romania on the banks of the Danube across the river from Serbia. We had 154 children attend. We had classes in recorder, handchimes, and sock puppets. Our first concert was in an old cinema that had not been used for years. The team hand-washed all the seats and cleaned the floor. We prepared for an audience of over 300 but had over 700 instead. The audience was standing all the way outside into the park with barely enough space for the children to enter the theater. Since our first Music Camp our mission has remained constant

“Transforming Children, Communities and Countries Through the Power of Music!”

Our first Music Camp Concert was held in this abandoned cinema

2020-2021 Highlights

After six years of finding alternate locations and cities due to the war our Christmas Camp returned to Kyiv, thanks to the efforts of our Program Director, Katya Stetsiuk. Guest artist, Andrey Chmut, Music Camp graduate and internationally acclaimed saxophonist performed to a “standing-room only” crowd! It was an amazing celebration for the children and Music Camp International.

MARCH 13, 2020

Life as we knew it changed.

The Global Pandemic forced the world into lockdown.

Strategic Development Initiates Strategic Changes

More than ever, the children needed hope and community.

With 18-years of “historic firsts” and unparalleled success, Music Camp made the strategic decision to pivot from an “on location” to a “virtual” platform.

In spite of the “steep learning curve” we navigated the changes and still had a professional orchestra accompany the children. This time the orchestra was international! And most importantly we “expanded our borders.” Our virtual Music Camps included students from India and Kenya. With the expansion of virtual projects, the world became our classroom!

When the pandemic shut down our tenyear tradition, MCI determined to face the challenge in an innovative format. We chose to present four mini-concerts surrounding the passion of Christ. These were a compilation of past concerts, blended with art Masterpieces. The result was amazing and the reviews outstanding. These videos are now a part of our library on our YouTube channel.

MCI Alumni Association

Our MCI Alumni are the best people to build the Music Camp International family, provide volunteer services, and build a network of professionals in local communities to spread the mission of Music Camp throughout the world. In March 2021, our Music Camp International Alumni Association was re-established with its motto “Giving Back Through Service.” Two long-term graduates Anastasia Hord and Silvia Nedelea were appointed as leaders of the Association.

GIVINGBACK THROUGHSERVICE

Communication is Key!

“Coffee with Connie” is a forum for students, alumni, board members, team members, parents, teachers, donors, and anyone interested in knowing what is happening –right up to the minute! Attendance has been great and discussion has been lively!

APRIL 2021

Coffee with Connie . . . Communicating with our constituency.

Sylvia Nedelea Anastasia Hord

As we merge into a global organization, a strong international team is essential IT, video production and editing, operations, program development, and infrastructure keeping things running smoothly for both ”on-location” and virtual projects. We are forming an international team of teachers, coordinators, and partner organizations. Our zoom studio is currently under development. This room will have amazing highquality video capabilities filling our remote, synchronous teaching needs and providing a video studio for teacher training, television interviews, and bring us into the arena of high-quality video technology.

Brovary,

What seemed like the “Lockdown of a Lifetime” faded fast as the excitement of our first on-location Music Camp came to life on May 27 in Brovary, Ukraine. With the support of the mayor, the Ministry of Culture and the generous provision of the music school, and lots of eager students, the children prepared and performed an outdoor concert in the town square on June 1, International Children’s Day!

Musedics Brings a Global Teen Choir, Instrument Ensembles and Innovative Music Experiences to Young People, ages 12 – 17, Around the World!

MCI’s expansion into a virtual format, brought into focus the need for a continuing program that would coincide with the school year. Rather than being limited to a six-day format, the time had come to provide ongoing music participation to youth whether from their homes, or schools or community centers.

Musedics will bring together children from all regions of the world into a global teen choir, and instrument classes will create global instrumental ensembles accompanied by professional musicians from all over the world. The potential to establish strong cross-cultural communities of young people bound together through music and committed to building a better world is staggering.

Wherever you are . . . whatever you do . . . we invite you to join us.

INCOME

Contributed support

While the pandemic had a negative impact on our finances, the consistent support of our donor base allowed us to continue. Though donations were down, our basic overhead remained unchanged–which impacted our direct cost ratios. Now we are rebuilding for the future–first by regaining the financial position we had in our pre-pandemic days, and then by expanding our support base to include additional donors and sponsors and expanded partnerships to sustain our global vision. We have no debt–so everything we raise goes to supporting our global projects.

To help give more complete perspective, we have included both fiscal years 2019 2020 and then the first nine months of the current fiscal year.

INCOME AND EXPENSES

INCOME

Contributed support

FY 2021 3 QUARTERS FYE 09.30.20 FYE 09.30.19

FY 2021 3 QUARTERS FYE 09.30.20

Individual Contributions 25,616 35,260 65,560 Board Contributions 36,254 27,616 19,009 Monthly Donors 17,731 24,419 24,420 Major Gifts 34,760 62,500 66,086 Misc. sources 1,768 1,775 7,547

36,254 27,616 19,009

17,731 24,419 24,420

34,760 62,500 66,086

Individual Contributions 25,616 35,260 Board Contributions 36,254 27,616 Monthly Donors 17,731 24,419 Major Gifts 34,760 62,500 Misc. sources 1,768 1,775

1,768 1,775 7,547

TOTAL INCOME 116,126 151,570 182,622

TOTAL INCOME 116,126 151,570

116,126 151,570 182,622

Per Quarter Average 38,709 37,893 45,655

EXPENSES

Direct Program Expense

Per Quarter Average 38,709 37,893

EXPENSES

38,709 37,893 45,655

Camps, Concerts Costs 14,990 27,645 55,068 Operations 50,129 72,856 80,134

Direct Program Expense Camps, Concerts Costs 14,990 27,645 Operations 50,129 72,856

TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSE 65,119 100,501 135,202

TOTAL PROGRAM EXPENSE 65,119 100,501

Management and General Payroll Epenses, wages, taxes 19,039 22,383 13,730 Office exp./ Bank fees/ misc. 2,256 5,452 16,687

Management and General Payroll Epenses, wages, taxes 19,039 22,383 Office exp./ Bank fees/ misc. 2,256 5,452

TOTAL MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL 21,295 27,835 32,647

TOTAL MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL 21,295 27,835

FUNDRAISING 9,261 10,568 8,000

FUNDRAISING 9,261 10,568

TOTAL INCOME 116,126 151,570 182,622

TOTAL INCOME 116,126 151,570

TOTAL EXPENSES 95,675 138,504 175,849

TOTAL EXPENSES 95,675 138,504

95,675 138,504 175,849

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Connie Fortunato

Founder and Director of Music Camp International

Connie has spent her entire adult life in music: teaching, conducting, writing curriculum, training, and doing research. Connie began working in Romania in 1992 doing music therapy with orphans after the fall of the brutal Ceausescu regime. Through the encouragement of a colleague, she piloted the first Music Camp in a small village south of Timisoara in 2002. And the rest . . . is history!

Anya Bazilo

Anya has been with Music Camp International for 17 years, since the first time she attended Music Camp in Kyiv in 2003. She later became an administrative assistant to the MCI Director helping in implementation of music camps all over Ukraine. She is now works in various EU institutions and projects –most recently in the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine. One of her most unforgettable MCI projects was a concert “Ukrainian Children European Recognition” in Strasbourg, France during Ukraine’s Chairmanship at the Council of Europe in October 2012.

Deanna Gardiner-Garcia

Deanna, our newest member to the Board of Directors, received her BA degree from Corban University in Salem, Oregon and General Elementary Teaching Credential from California State University, East Bay. Deanna taught in public school for 10 years. In addition to education, she has a passion for travel and helping those who are marginalized and vulnerable.

Dr. Sarita Kwok

The former director of the undergraduate lessons program at Yale, Sarita served for eight years on the faculty of the Yale Department of Music. She currently holds the Adams Endowed Chair in Music and serves as Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. In August 2019, Dr. Kwok brought a team of 11 students from Gordon College to participate in a Music Camp International project in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.

Gabriel Enache

Gabriel is a software developer that develops applications used in the automotive industry. At age 4, Gabriel became an orphan and was raised by an NGO called SOS Children’s Village. Rotary Club was an important sponsor for SOS and gifted Gabriel with his first personal computer. At the age of 14, he had the chance to become a founding member of Interact Club (Rotary’s club for teenagers) and he took it.

In 2014, Connie came to the Rotaract Club in Cluj Napoca in search for a partnership and volunteers to start the first Music Camp for Pata Rât, the marginalized community living in the landfill area outside Cluj. After hearing Connie talk about empowering children through music and helping them develop, Gabriel decided to volunteer and help make that dream a reality because it resonated with him and his core values. Ever since, Gabriel has followed Connie on this journey because he knows better than most how important it is for a child to be heard, supported and have good role models, especially for those with whom life is not so fortunate.

Jim Fortunato

After spending several years in music, Jim changed careers to become a senior representative with Health Markets Insurance. His distinguished career of over 35 years has awarded him numerous company awards and career titles. In 2002 he fulfilled a lifelong dream of “giving back to those in need” when together, with Connie, they formed the Canticum Novum Corporation, the parent company of Music Camp International. His support of that dream has taken him to both Ukraine and Romania several times. He has served on the Board of Directors since its birth in November, 2002.