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Executive Summary


One year ago the founding board of the New Orleans, Louisiana Chapter of SPEBSQSA, Inc. (also known as the Barbershop Harmony Society chapter or “BHS chapter”) began it journey to create a chorus that focuses itself outward, engaging and celebrating with the local community while sustaining its historic connection to the international barbershop world. Following a 1-year founding-season of planning and member-building, the chorus has established itself to achieve that mission. As Nola Vox enters our second year, the leadership of the chorus has now developed this plan to enhance the organization and guide its activities for the next four years. This plan will guide our efforts to embrace our mission statement, supported by four goals and related objectives. The mission, goals and objectives seek to build the chorus’ excellence while better positioning it to serve the broader community.

Nola Vox’s Mission Statement:

“Enriching lives through vocal harmony in NEW ORLEANS!”

  This strategic plan provides focus and direction for the next four years, as Nola Vox establishes its place in the New Orleans Arts and Culture community. In August of 2023 Nola Vox began our pilot project to create an all-voices chorus of a cappella singers in New Orleans. The chorus has experienced remarkable success over its first year: it has become a registered Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, has performed five times with varied arrangements; it has collaborated with vocal and instrumental musicians in many genres, exploring arrangements for New Orleans based composers and historic works; and it has brought vocal harmony to the broader New Orleans region.

To continue momentum and build on these successes, the chorus has sought to imagine an even more productive future for itself. The development of a Nola Vox strategic plan is the next step in moving forward. This document is intended to provide a guide for chorus operations over the next four years. But more broadly, it will move the chorus down the path — a path of developing greater choral resources to support vibrant community service. The specific goals and objectives offer a blueprint for action and also a measure of our performance toward the broader mission.

Current Environment
Nola Vox engages with a broad range of choral groups across the area, but the chorus lives principally in two worlds: the diverse and dynamic community of musicians in the New Orleans region, and the member choruses of the international Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS).
As one of the area’s few all voices choruses, and the only all-voices a cappella community chorus, Nola Vox has been actively engaged in the local area to build membership and recognition of a cappella music. A review of other large choruses in the region shows that Nola Vox has done all of this on a lower budget and with less staff support than any comparable chorus. Nola Vox was founded with the intention of reflecting the music and rich diversity of the New Orleans community. That intent should be reflected in all music selections as well as membership efforts.

Additionally, as proud members of the BHS, Nola Vox is excited to connect the chorus’s mission with the BHS’s recent vision of Everyone in Harmony. Nola Vox looks forward to ensuring harmony is more than just singing and performing. Since its beginnings, Nola Vox has been blessed by dedicated individuals who have repeatedly made the chorus a success and will continue to break new ground by expanding our possibilities.


Mission
Enriching lives through vocal harmony in the greater New Orleans area.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1. Attain a high level of vocal quality
Objective 1.1: Improve individual member performing abilities.
Objective 1.2: Ensure New Orleans’ rich music culture is reflected.
Objective 1.3: Build infrastructure to support members’ experience.

DESCRIPTION
Vocal excellence is a necessity in achieving Nola Vox’s broader goals. Nola Vox members’ hard work in rehearsal and in personal time produces quality performances that will enable the chorus to begin competing and gain prestigious bookings as well as audience support. Nola Vox has identified specific objectives that will help ensure continued excellence in all the chorus’ performances.

OBJECTIVE 1.1: Improve individual member performing abilities.
The chorus’s sound begins with the performance of each singer, and improvement in individual members’ singing. A range of activities, including coaching, recording, and rehearsal, may contribute to this objective. While each member of the chorus is already motivated toward good singing, they may not have the skills needed for ensemble work in a cappella. Chorus rehearsals, quality learning tracks, and interactions with the music leadership can improve that focus. The chorus will ensure that members’ rehearsal experience is structured to lead to greater excellence.

OBJECTIVE 1.2: Ensure New Orleans’ rich music culture is reflected in music selection.
Nola Vox was founded with the intention of reflecting the music and rich diversity of the New Orleans community. That intent should be reflected in all music selections. This means that mixed voice arrangements may have to be contracted in order to have a good selection of musical types and styles for the chorus. Each song selection and future performance inspiration should include a focus on New Orleans roots as well as incorporate area arrangers/performer works.

OBJECTIVE 1.3: Build infrastructure to support members' experience.
The chorus will build infrastructure to support member engagement and fraternity, finding ways to expand volunteer support, fun events, and relieve the burden on members to track the details of deadlines, scores, and costumes. This will allow singers to focus on singing excellence, while maintaining the chorus camaraderie that defines the Nola Vox experience.

Goal 1 OUTCOME AND IMPACT
Implementation of this goal over the next four years will create a chorus with a culture of excellence and camaraderie engaged in a mutual endeavor of continuous improvement in vocal production. That chorus will form the cornerstone of Nola Vox’s mission, as outstanding singing more deeply touches the hearts of the singers, audiences, and fellow performers, and thus improves lives.


Goal 2. Enhance community Impact
Objective 2.1: Improve participation in local community events.
Objective 2.2: Instill a sense of community mission among the members.
Objective 2.3: Build partnerships with targeted schools.

DESCRIPTION
Nola Vox wants to make a significant contribution to the life of the community, performing at local festivals, restaurants, schools, senior homes, and government buildings. This goal will organize Nola Vox’s community connections into an overarching effort to engage and benefit the larger New Orleans region. As the plan develops, additional elements of the community may also be targeted.

OBJECTIVE 2.1: Improve participation in local community events.
Nola Vox will identify opportunities within the community and develop a clear, multi-year plan for the chorus’s participation in diverse civic events. This outreach should focus on reaching out to all cultures and ethnicities within the New Orleans area so that Nola Vox can meet its desire to reach and reflect the diversity that is our city.

OBJECTIVE 2.2: Instill a sense of community mission among the members.
By emphasizing the chorus’ benefits to the community and the mission of enriching lives, Nola Vox will engage individual members of the chorus to understand and value their own impact on audiences.

OBJECTIVE 2.3: Build partnerships with targeted schools.
Nola Vox will focus on creating a deep, continuing connection with targeted schools where we can offer further benefits to music and performance education.

Goal 2 OUTCOME AND IMPACT
By implementing measures to achieve this goal, Nola Vox will expand and coordinate our opportunities to engage the New Orleans community. These efforts will lead to multiple annual performances and collaborations, bringing vocal harmony to the community and enhancing lives through the joy of music.
Goal 3. Increase awareness of the Nola Vox brand throughout the greater New Orleans area
Objective 3.1: Gain understanding of brand awareness.
Objective 3.2: Develop and execute a marketing plan.
Objective 3.3: Hold a predictable concert season and recognizable annual event.

DESCRIPTION
Nola Vox often describes ourselves as “the newest all voices a cappella group in the area.” Although performances have been well attended for such a new organization, most of the local community is barely aware of our existence. The chorus will engage in an organized branding and public communications campaign to increase regional awareness of the benefits we offer to the community.

OBJECTIVE 3.1: Gain understanding of brand awareness.
The lack of awareness of Nola Vox is partly a result of Nola Vox’s own lack of awareness of what our brand is or should be, or how to convey that publicly. The chorus leadership will engage in a concerted effort to understand our brand and how brand communication will enhance community visibility.

OBJECTIVE 3.2: Develop and execute a marketing plan.
Nola Vox has marketed individual events separately, with no coordinated strategy and no general marketing of the chorus’s work. In tandem with developing a distinct brand, the chorus will adopt a dedicated marketing effort that highlights the many aspects of the chorus’ contributions to the community as well as individual concert programs.

OBJECTIVE 3.3: Hold a predictable concert season and recognizable annual event.
Nola Vox’s member structure allows for spring and fall concert seasons. In its first year, the concerts have been held on dates/times based on member availability. Dedicated fans have had to work to track the performances. The chorus will establish a predictable concert schedule in predictable venues, with the target of establishing an annual schedule that may be marketed well in advance as a concert “season.”

Goal 3 OUTCOME AND IMPACT
Completing this goal will lead to greater awareness of Nola Vox and our contributions to the community, from the schools and festivals to the residents of the greater New Orleans area. Nola Vox will expand our social media followers by an order of magnitude, appear in several news stories each year, and establish a larger fan following. The resulting improved awareness of the chorus will expand audiences and singing opportunities, bringing the life-affirming value of vocal harmony to hundreds more people every year.

Goal 4. Achieve sufficient financial health to fulfill the mission
Objective 4.1: Raise sufficient funds to meet annual budgets and build a modest reserve fund.
Objective 4.2: Establish donor/fundraising groundwork as a recognized art and cultural part of New Orleans.

DESCRIPTION
Every organization depends upon financial resources to achieve its objectives. Nola Vox began on a very lean budget, with no paid administrative staff, limited contracted music leadership, and enormous commitment from several unpaid volunteers who keep chorus operations going. Additional financial resources are necessary to build a resilient organization and provide the necessary support needed to increase Nola Vox’s community outreach.

OBJECTIVE 4.1: Raise sufficient funds to meet annual budgets and build a modest reserve fund.
In order to achieve Nola Vox’s mission and complete the goals of this strategic plan, Nola Vox must find the funding necessary to meet its budget. Nola Vox will rely on donations and performance proceeds for routine expenses as well as the attainment of grants. As a new organization, it is also important to develop a reserve fund for unanticipated expenses as well as a bridge to compensate for the funding nature of the grant/donor cycle. Nola Vox will strive to meet all financial obligations with an added intent to set aside a modest fund each year to build a reserve.

OBJECTIVE 4.2: Establish donor/fundraising groundwork as a recognized art and cultural part of New Orleans.
Nola Vox will have to devote more effort to fundraising over the next four years, increasing our connection with patrons and supporters as we communicate the chorus’s financial goals. But we lack the essential community connections to champion and support our fundraising needs. Nola Vox will acquire the knowledge and connections within the New Orleans community needed to be competitive for art and cultural grants as well as other support.

Goal 4 OUTCOME AND IMPACT
By the end of the next four years, Nola Vox will double the chorus’ support from individual donors and grant funders, maintaining the financial health necessary to provide administrative assistance and allow enhanced musical education and performances in the community. This increased capacity will enable Nola Vox to bring the enjoyment and inspiration resulting from vocal harmony to a greater cross-section of the community.


Path Forward
Implementation is the obvious challenge presented by this strategic plan. Nola Vox will rely on many volunteers and supporters to achieve these milestones. The dedication and talent of Nola Vox members remains the most important element of Nola Vox’s success, but the assistance of many others will also be needed to complete this plan.

The strategic planning team developed and prioritized a list of initial activities, with an identification of committees that would be responsible for each. The board of directors has approved the plan and will work with the appropriate committee to implement these and other activities to carry out the plan. As Nola Vox begins to work through these initial activities, the committees will also begin to identify further activities necessary to achieve the goals and objectives. Annually the board of directors will review the actions taken and any further plans developed by the committees. These annual reviews, in addition to regular board meetings, will ensure plan implementation and also identify any needs for plan revision.

The plan is structured so that success towards each of the objectives will make the remaining aspects of the plan easier to achieve. Thus, the completion of a few initial steps toward each objective should improve the chances of success for all operating teams and increase enthusiasm toward reaching the goals. We expect that with organized effort the dedication and support of our volunteers and donors will bring the plan to fulfillment.

Methodology
Nola Vox initiated the strategic planning process in the fall of 2024 with a discussion by the board of directors. After compiling general feedback from various members, an ad hoc strategic planning team convened to work on the plan. Once a draft strategic plan was developed, we conducted a focus group among members of Nola Vox to get feedback before the plan was finalized.