Support Letters.pdfJohn Sanders
DSP Shows
PO Box 736
Ithaca NY 14851
9/7/17
Community Preservation Committee
City of Northampton Massachusetts
Dear Community Preservation Committee:
I am writing to share my enthusiastic support of The Academy of Music’s grant proposal to complete
the restoration of the theatre’s auditorium in addition to new projects that will improve the lobby,
salon and restrooms. As partner and talent buyer of DSP Shows, I have produced over 50 music and
comedy events at the Academy of Music since April of 2015 with internationally recognized artists
like David Crosby, Melissa Etheridge, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Brandi Carlile, Hannibal Buress
and more.
The Academy of Music is an invaluable asset to the city of Northampton and the surrounding
communities. The building’s history tells the story of the people of Northampton over the past 125 years.
This project will not only help preserve this history and share it with the community, but will also help tell
the stories of Northampton’s residents for many years to come.
In my work as a concert promoter, my goal is to provide artists and audiences the best experience
possible. By making these improvements, the Academy is showing its commitment to being a premier
venue for nationally touring artists while also meeting the needs of the many community groups who call
the venue home. This project will help me bring more events to the venue which will in turn bring more
people to downtown Northampton.
In conclusion, I believe this project to be extremely important to the continued success of the Academy of
Music and hope you share this assessment. If I can be of any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to
contact me by phone at 773.891.3463 or by email at john@dspshows.com
Sincerely,
John Sanders
Partner/Talent Buyer
99 Pleasant Street
Northampton, MA 01060
P. 413-584-1900 F. 413-584-1934 W. www. explorenorthampton.com
September 8, 2017 Community Preservation Act Committee
City of Northampton
210 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
2017 Board of Directors
Matthew Bannister
PeoplesBank
Julie Cowan
MassDevelopment
Jay Czelusniak
Czelusniak Funeral Home
David DeSwert VICE PRESIDENT
Smith College
Jody Doele PRESIDENT
Thornes Marketplace
Robert Fazzi
Fazzi Associates, Inc.
Derrick Feuerstein
Debra Flynn
Eastside Grill / Slainté
Ruth Griggs
RC Communications
Debra J’Anthony
Academy of Music Theatre
Rich Horton TREASURER Community Enterprises, Inc.
John Majercak Center for EcoTechnology
Noreen Mickiewicz Hayes
ServiceNet, Inc.
Russell J. Peotter EX OFFICIO
WGBY Public Television for Western
New England
Robert Reckman
Michael Rifanburg
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Julia Sorensen
Cooley Dickinson Health Care
Christopher Whelan
Florence Bank
Al Williams
Northampton Community Television
Dear members of the committee:
On behalf of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, I’d like to strongly endorse the Academy of Music’s application for Community Preservation Act funding. The Academy’s transformation to a premiere performance venue has rescued this historic landmark and brought immeasurable benefits by expanding our cultural offerings and supporting our local independent economy. The success of both the restoration and expansion of programs is a great testament to their vision and their ability to create a sustainable future. They have demonstrated over and over the results of good management, good leadership and the importance of community support o their continued success. The Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce works closely with cultural and hospitality industry partners to bring new visitors to our area. As fiscal agent to the newly formed Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council, we are expanding our destination marketing program and its emphasis on our cultural offerings. The Academy of Music Theatre is poised to benefit from the state’s investment in new tourism marketing and ready, with your help, to welcome more visitors through its doors. Thank you for considering the Chamber’s endorsement. Good luck with your review of, I’m sure, many worthy applications. I do hope that this one rises to the top
and gets a unanimous “yes” from the committee.
Sincerely and with thanks for your efforts,
Suzanne Beck Executive Director
Friday, September 8, 2017
To: Northampton Community Preservation Act committee
From: Tony Lechner, Rock Voices, lnc.
Re: Letter of recommendation for Academy of Music
Dear committee members,
As the director of Rock Voices, a large community choir with a footprint in MA, CT, and VT, I
have had the privilege of leading our performances at the Academy since 2014. We also
perform at university music halls, public school auditoriums, and churches, but there is nothing
like the joy-for both Rock Voices choir members and our audiences-that comes from
performing at the Academy. We typically sell out our shows each year at the Academy, and
we hope to continue to do so for many years to come.
Rock Voices members are so grateful to have the chance to perform on the very same stage
as big-name artists, in a place so rich with local history. With the impressive stage lights,
sound, and curtains, taking the stage at the Academy is a rock-and-roll dream come true for
many of our members. Our audiences similarly are "wowed" by the space, and are thrilled to
see their friends and loved ones shine in that environment. They often remark on how lovely
the Academy is, too!
We fully support the Academy's efforts to continue to restore and improve this historic theater,
which is truly a beloved community space. Restoring the opera boxes will not only increase
capacity but also make a "packed house" feeltruly special. An inner lobby that matches the
beauty of the auditorium would lend even more gravltas to the building, and honor its
historicity. Most of all, we are particularly pleased that the Academy plans to install ADA-
accessible bathrooms, as a few of our choir members use wheelchairs, and this has
presented some difficulties. These improvements will help the Academy and all those who
perform there create unforgettable experiences for audiences for decades to come.
Sincerely,/Z*
Tony Lechner
Founder & Executive Director
Rock Voices, lnc.
3 0 N O R T H M A P L E S T R E E T F L O R E N C E , M A 0 1 0 6 2
www.youngatheartchorus.com
September 8, 2017
Dear Members of the Community Preservation Committee,
I wanted to add my voice to the many in our community who eagerly anticipate the completion
of the auditorium restoration along with the lobby and hallway work at the Academy of Music
Theatre in Northampton. Community Preservation funds will be well spent and continue this
miraculous turn around of this beautiful historic theater.
I began producing shows at the Academy of Music for the Young@Heart Chorus in 1985 and
also produced many shows for the Northampton Arts Council starting in 1992. I can attest to
how far the theater has progressed since those early days. The current director Debra J’Anthony
and the board led by President Andrew Crystal have a vision to bring the Academy into the 21st
century and they have sparked a change that not many of us could imagine possible.
I retired from the Arts Council in 2013 but I continue to produce two shows a year for the
Young@Heart. Our audiences are made up of people who attended events at the Academy of
Music since the 1930’s. They fully understand and appreciate the significance of the changes that
have been made in a theater that is regarded as the jewel in the crown in Northampton.
Sincerely,
Bob Cilman
Director, Yong@Heart Chorus