The Music Center's Gratitude Report - 2021

The Music Center’s Gratitude Report

You Make Los Angeles A Better Place

Super Villainz Tap Dance Park on Jerry Moss Plaza

Photo: Will Tee Yang for The Music Center.

Thanks to

,

one of The Music Center’s most loyal supporters, The Music Center delivered on its Response, Recovery and Renewal pledge to Angelenos.

Response While our stages were dark, Music Center teams were abuzz with innovative programs and creative events to continue to serve you and the larger Los Angeles community during a heartbreaking year.

Photo: The Music Center

At the beginning of the 2020–2021 fiscal year, The Music Center: Embraced Digital Production To transition its programming from in-person events to digital presentations, TMC Arts’ programmers quickly acquired new skills in scriptwriting, production, directing and editing. They adapted TMC Arts’ portfolio of free and low-cost programs, including The Music Center’s Spotlight, our annual free performing arts scholarships and artistic development for 1,500 teens, The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival, which reached a record 90,000 school children, and Arts Integration, a professional development program that helped 143 teachers bring the arts into their lessons.

Employed 900 L.A.-Based Artists & Teachers The Music Center’s relationship with 900 community-based creative artists made our programming possible during COVID-19.

We partnered with 50 local performing arts groups to continue to deliver The Music Center On Tour, high-energy educational performing arts concerts that invite students into the world Spotlight 2021 Finalist Daniel Bae Photo: The Music Center of dance, music, theatre and storytelling. TMC Arts launched For The Love of L.A., a platform offering L.A. artists a space to express their views of Los Angeles that are relevant and reflective of the current time through music, dance and visual culture. The Music Center’s Teaching Artists learned online presentation skills to continue our Arts Integration Partnerships, which empower teachers and students’ creativity.

Responsibly Managed FY21’s Financial Challenges Thanks to the generosity of our donors, diversified sources of revenue and sound budget management, The Music Center ended FY21 on solid financial footing. Despite this stability, The Music Center had to furlough 1,100 part-time staff (guest services, production, scheduling, ushers) and lay off 30 full-time staff. As of September 2021, 25% of furloughed staff have been re-instated.

In this time of isolation, The Music Center’s art and percussion lessons are helping our students to lift their spirits and stay connected to their school in a very positive fashion. They look forward to an awesome learning opportunity each week.”

—M r. Andrew C. (Student Services - Bassett USD)

From Education to Production, and Community Engagement to Dance, The Music Center never stopped adapting to the evolving crisis.

Recovery

Grand Park’s Downtown Día de Los Muertos

Photo: The Music Center

As the year unfolded, The Music Center: Optimized Our Spaces to Expand Civic Engagement As a civic organization, The Music Center offered new services to the community, providing more options for Angelenos to exercise their right to vote with a Vote Center for the 2020 general elections in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, donate blood at our monthly blood drives and receive COVID-19 vaccinations in partnership with the County of Los Angeles.

Offered Engaging Free Outdoor Arts Installations Grand Park and Jerry Moss Plaza were the sites for Grand Park’s Downtown Día de Los Muertos, commemorating those who have passed on with a focus on mental health wellness and collective healing. Jerry Moss Plaza was the site for the culmination of A Quiet Scene L.A., a collaboration with musicians Brian and Roger Eno, which asked Angelenos to create videos that were an authentic reflection of Los Angeles during current times.

Re-Committed to DEI Values While The Music Center had embraced Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work prior the start of the pandemic, the social upheaval of the past year intensified the commitment of both our staff and the Board of Directors.

This work continues and includes fostering staff-led conversations on DEI issues, establishing a board level DEI committee and working with thought partners to deepen our DEI roots for the long term.

Safeguarded the Campus for All As stewards of the campus, The Music Center supported and collaborated with our resident companies to prepare for the safe return of audience members, staff and artists, while closely coordinating all plans with Los Angeles County officials.

C onnected with peers and other organizations at the local/state/national level to learn and embrace best practices, help understand consumer attitudes and develop safety protocols; A dvocated for the arts field with elected officials and associations to advance plans for reopening, encourage funding at the state and federal level; E arned the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Air and Water Quality, the first performing arts center in the nation to do so; and C ontinued maintenance and 24/7 security of our campus.

Secured A Long-Term Lease for Grand Park The County of Los Angeles named The Music Center to operate, manage and program Grand Park for up to 30 years, validating The Music Center’s successful stewardship of this beautiful civic park.

Renewal

The Music Center’s Dance DTLA

Photo: The Music Center

The Music Center was one of the first performing arts organizations in Los Angeles to reopen. To do so, we followed all L.A. County guidelines to create safe outdoor experiences for you. Significant turning points at The Music Center included: A Transformational Gift from Tina and Jerry Moss In summer 2021, The Music Center brought more performances, special events and new experiences to the public on the newly renamed Jerry Moss Plaza!

Live Performances on Jerry Moss Plaza Dance lovers enjoyed dance residencies with four renowned national companies during The Music Center’s Dance at Dusk, part of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center. Angelenos danced under the stars during The Music Center’s Dance DTLA and the new family-friendly Summer SoundWaves concerts on Jerry Moss Plaza. For many, these were the first live performances and community engagements they had experienced in 16 months.

The Music Center’s Dance DTLA Photo: The Music Center

Creativity thrives during times of transition as we are forced to build new ways of life. The Music Center’s For The Love Of L.A. is a digital space of what L.A. has represented for so many artists: a space to create and be inspired by the deeply diverse community we are so lucky to have in each other.”

— Jennelyn Tumalad, artist/guest curator, For the Love of L.A. digital series

The Super Villianz, American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Alonzo King LINES Ballet leapt at the chance to perform live, celebrating world-class dance with you.

American Ballet Theatre performing on Jerry Moss Plaza Photo: ABT’s Katherine Williams and Blaine Hoven perform the pas de deux in A Time There Was at The Music Center. John McCoy for The Music Center.

ReConnect With overwhelming gratitude for loyal supporters like you, we are prepared to delight you in the months ahead. Here’s what’s next: Education programming returns to in-school learning.

Arts learning will expand into neighborhoods.

Pop-up events and special concerts are in the works. rand Park will connect with the public with the return G of Grand Park’s Downtown Día de Los Muertos. he 62 nd Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration T will feature amazing local artists on December 24 from the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and on PBS SoCal. lorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center will G showcase renowned dance companies in a brand-new season beginning in March 2022.

Our restaurants are re-opening with many surprises!

We remember, honor and mourn those we have lost during the last year: cherished Music Center staff, volunteers, patrons, friends, neighbors and relatives of The Music Center’s community.