MINUTES
Colorado Music Business Organization Board of Directors Meeting
Sunday, September 11, 2022
- Called to Order at 7:02 p.m.
- Present: Barb Dye, Annette Cannon, David Barber, Todd Caron, Johnnie Johnson, Jamie Krutz and Tony Molina
Absent: Maurice Avatar, Tracey Chirhart (both excused)
- Approval of the Minutes of August 7, 2022: Davidmoved, Johnnie 2nd: Approved.
- Treasurer’s Report:
Income received:
Memberships (Paypal): $ 245.00 (See Membership Report)
Song Contest: $ 70.00 (7 songs paid)
Interest on Savings: $ .02(August 2022)
Total: $ 315.02
Expenses paid (Ck = check; PP = Paypal; BW = bank withdrawal, checking acct.):
Bank Fees for August: $ 2.00 (checking fees)
Facebook ad (Meta): $ 2.20 (ad for Songwriting Contest)
Paypal fees (PP): $ 14.10 (See David’s accounting below)
Elementor. LTD (PP) $ 49.00 (for website software; annual fee)
Zoom acct. for August (PP): $ 16.30
Mailchimp for August (PP): $ 33.00
Total: $ 116.60
Paypal Fees: (4 x $1.54) = $6.16 (for individual memberships)
Paypal Fees: (1 x $3.81) = $3.81 (for business memberships)
Paypal Fees: (7 x $0.59) = $4.13 (for songwriting contest entries)
Total = 6.16 + 3.81 + 4.13 = $14.10
Checking Balance: $ 1,296.21 (as of 8/31/22) ($30 ck minus $2)
Savings Balance: $ 2,453.50 (as of 8/31/22) ($1k transferred from PP)
PayPal Balance: $ 293.00(as of 9/02/22)
Grand Total: $ 4,042.71
E. Membership Report:
Renewed Members in August:
Supporter(s): None
Individual: Robert Hojaboom, Paul Fiorino, and Rob Roper
Band(s): None
Business(es): None
New Members in August:
Supporter: None
Individuals: Gene Moody
Band(s): None
Business(es): Marnie Ward Voice & Ukulele Studio (Marnie previously had band and individual memberships)
Up for Renewal in September:
Supporter: None
Individuals: Barry Ollman
Bands: Niva Music, Roma Ransom
Business(es): Wales Business Management, Inc.
David sent out renewal reminder emails to the above Individuals on 9/07/22.
Membership “Welcome Surveys”: 1 (Marnie)
E. Unfinished Business:
- Bar Code requests: None.
- Upcoming Programs: At this point, David asked for someone to take over the Chair of the Program Committee. Jamie volunteered. Jamie suggested Shannon Bock as a speaker on “Festivals”, and Johnnie suggested a program on So Far Sounds, which is a program similar to Black Fret.
a. Monday, September 26th: Program on Zoom: “Marketing: I’ve Got My CD Done – Now What.” Storm Gloor confirmed and said he would get a couple of other people who have some knowledge of Marketing. Barb & Todd will contact Dean McCall to ask him to participate he he has experience on this topic.
b. Monday, October 24th: David Ratner wrote: Hi COMBO! I can’t speak to marketing but can definitely speak to many other things on the “To Do” list for an album. For example, registering with a PRO, MLC, and SoundExchange, having proper documents with all contributors to the album, having split sheets with co-writers, and so on. The board voted to accept Mr. Ratner’s offer. The meeting will be held via Zoom.
c. Saturday(s), November 12th or 19th – Songwriters Showcase at ??? Barb will contactNo. 38, Dazzle, and the Walnut Room. Barb drove past No. 38 and it is a really nice venue. However, at this time, there is lots of apartment construction going on and there is little parking available. David suggested Uber or Lyft to get there.
Barb will let Marty Jones know that we will consider having a Songwriters night at Dry Dock East in the future but we need to find someone to run it and a sound system. At this time, such an event would conflict with our Showcase night in November.
Barb wrote to Paula Vrakas at Roxy on Broadway (where we held the showcase in 2021) and her new booking person, Elisa, responded with “[We] could have a Tuesday night.” Barb said, “Thanks but no Tuesdays. However we would be glad to come in early – 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. – and then provide a full band afterwards if they would like (as last year) on a Friday or a Saturday.” Elisa sent a note on 9/08/22 saying that she would turn this over to “Meg” who booked their “dinner shows” from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Barb countered with 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. but Friday or Saturday only. So far, no response from either Elisa or Meg.
3. Web & Social Media Reports – David Barber (as of 9/08/22):
- Current Email Subscribers: COMBO has 2,405 subscribers which is downfrom the 2,413 reported at the last meeting because we aren’t adding new people to the list! [Note: We did add 18 names from the CO Sound Studios Open House]. As of the 8/25/22 newsletter, we had 28% opens and 1% click thrus (Barb was on vacation for this newsletter).
- Twitter Account Followers: COMBO has 7,625 followers which is down from the last report of 7,635.
c. Facebook Analytics: Reach: 486, down 89%; Page Visits: 46, down 64%; New Likes: 6, down 65%. Low numbers likely due to no events or ads in August 2022.
Reminder – Our Facebook address is:
http://www.Facebook.com/ColoradoMusicBusinessOrganization
d. LinkedIn: 155 followers up from 146.
e. Google Analytics Report: In August 2022 there were 3,144sessions, which is down 45% from August 2021 when we had 5,675 sessions. The most viewed article in August was “Man Accused of Killing Greeley Musician Scott Session, Ex-Girlfriend Likely Going to Trial with 87 views.
4. Ombudsman Program – Annette Cannon: Annette talked to the founder of the Arise Festival and he was telling her that there was a communication problem with the event which was to be held in Pueblo. He purchased 1,200 acres to hold it on and had permission from one department of the county but apparently the Sheriff’s Office was not notified and they put the kibosh on the Festival. Shannon Bock, whom Jamie has suggested as being able to speak at a program, was also involved in this festival.
5. Promotion/Advertising: Barb, Mark King, Annette, Jamie, Maurice and Todd attended the Open House at Colorado Sound Studios on September 4th. While the attendance was good, we did not feel that it rose to the levels of 2018 or 2019 (pre-pandemic). Give it time! Three-digit temperatures probably did not help! They had a stage set up in an adjacent parking lot, with lots of vendors. We did have a chance to talk to Angie Dickenson-Mickle and Chloe Connell of Sound Girls and they would like to try doing something together which brought up the idea of participating in the STEAM event at Denver’s & Channel 4’s Museum of Natural History’s Fund Raiser. Also coming up is an event being put on by the Recording Academy on September 20th at the XX building and the Durango Songwriters Expo on Sept. 29th & 30th and October 1st. We will have a booth and Barb, Mark King, and Annette will host it.
6. Open Mic Night with Tony: (Tony had to leave the meeting early and was not able to give us an update).
7. Songwriting Contest – Final Report – David: We had a total of 105 songs submitted as of the end of the contest. 82 paid $10 each = $820 less PayPal fees of $30.09 = $790. We received a $30 check from one contestant so no PayPal fees for it. We ended up with 4 judges plus Barb’s scores to break any potential ties.
Top scoring songwriters and their songs are 1(in alphabetical order): Teresa Anderson (Don’t Look); Jenn Cleary (Happy Day); Kevin Danzig (Boots); Jeremy Dion (Evangeline); Ken Earl (The Chosen Few); Jackson Emmer (Colorado Line & 90’s Tacoma); Larry Good (My 5 Beer Plan); Michael Hossler (The Right Thing By Leaving & Hiding In The Shadows); Steve Law (New Day & Say Goodbye); Baggs Patrick (Kim Kardashian); Larry Patrick (Lotus and the Dragonfly); Lynn Patrick (Deep Canyons); Lisa Selle (All The Pretty Horses (Ode to Douglas County)); Carol Van Alstine (My Mother Gave The World To Me); Zack Weld (Light It Up & Free From Gravity). We are planning a showcase in November. Clark Hagan mastered the CD and sent them to CODA-Inc.com for replicating and should be received in time for the Durango Songwriters Expo the end of September in Broomfield!
Michael Hossler won the entry into the Durango Songwriters Expo. Michael plans to attend! FYI, the names of ALL of the entrants in the Annual Songwriting Contest were put into a hat and an unaffiliated-with-COMBO third-party drew Michael’s name out!
F. New Business
1. COMBO Organization By-Laws: Barb updated the By-Laws so now the Board of Directors needs to Ratify them. Vote: Annette so moved, Todd seconded. David, Annette, Johnnie, Jamie, and Todd voted to ratify. Tracey, Maurice & Tony were absent. Barb will send a copy to be posted on our website.
2. TABLED until the October meeting. We need to re-write Article III in a more simplistic manner. || Re-Do on 501(c)(6) Status: Barb asked lawyers Steve Replin and David Ratner if we could amend, revise, or re-do the Articles of Incorporation and they both said “Yes” so we need to vote on taking out and/or adding the suggested language:
Article III – Purpose
The corporation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes for the benefit of songwriters, musicians, performers, recording studios, agents, managers, nightclubs, and all other individuals in businesses associated with the music and recording community in the State of Colorado, and to develop a mutual understanding, appreciation and interaction between members of the public and the business and arts communities by promoting and producing artistic creations in the nature of musical compositions, recordings and live performances, as well as promoting, producing and causing to be produced workshops, seminars, and performances relating to music, and by taking part in activities having that end in view, all within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law) and to that end to exercise any and all powers conferred by law upon nonprofit corporations organized under the Colorado [redundant] Non-Profit Corporation Act of the State of Colorado; to do any other act or thing incidental to or connected with the forgoing purposes or in advancement thereof, but not for the pecuniary profit or financial gain of its directors or officers except as permitted under the Colorado Non-Profit Corporation Act.
3. New Guitar Picks: Barb would like to order 1,000 more as we go thru them very fast – total cost $203.95 (cost corrected; a little over 20 cents per pick). Vote: Jamie moved, Todd 2nd; Approved. Barb will order first thing Monday, 9/12/22 morning, hopefully in time to receive for the DSE.
4. Setting of Program Committee Meeting: After a quick discussion, the PC decided to meet Tuesday, September 13th at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
G. Reports
1. August Meeting: Meeting cancelled. We were not able to come up with a tour either.
2. Women in Music have started up their programs again. They will hold a Picnic in the Park on Sunday, August 21st at 1:00 p.m. in Washington Park. Anyone go? No.
3. Sound Girls: Get-together on Sunday, August 21st. At the Open House for Colorado Sound, Angie Dickenson-Mickle said that only a handful of people came. They were very disappointed. Those attending were Angie, Chloe Carrol, Anna Frick plus a couple more.
H. Next General Meeting: Monday, September 26th at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
I. Next Board Meeting: Sunday, October 2nd at 7:00 p.m. Sign in time 6:50 p.m. via Zoom (after the Durango Songwriters Expo is over).
J. Meeting Adjourned at 8:26 p.m.
/s/ Barb Dye
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Barb Dye, President/Acting Secretary