LSM Christmas Letter 2019
Dear Friends,
As the end of the year and the decade quickly approaches, we at Lutheran Summer Music are overwhelmed with gratitude. The amount of creative and productive progress that we have seen in the past year is unprecedented, and could not have happened without you. Thousands of individuals in the greater LSM community have offered their time, talent, resources and prayers to secure the bright future of this essential program, which in turn guarantees the future of the sacred and classical music traditions that we hold so dear.
Because of your faithful commitment to LSM, we are assured that concert halls will be filled with performers and music lovers; organ benches at churches will have skilled musicians to guide the musical life of the congregation; choirs will have members to sing our favorite hymns and inspire awe; and church pews will be filled with the faithful, coming together in worship and song.
We invite you to share in the joy of our abundant blessings, and see what your support has made possible in the past year.
Enrollment Growth
Last summer, LSM saw the largest enrollment since 2013. This is due in large part to the multitudes of LSM alumni, church musicians, teachers, pastors, and faculty who have encouraged young musicians to pursue their gifts at LSM. Because of your commitment and persistence, enrollment for LSM 2020 is tracking at historical heights. .
Some facts about our 2019 student body
Students from over 25 states and abroad
63% of students attended LSM for the first time
Students came from a great diversity of faith backgrounds
Over half of the eligible students from LSM 2018 enrolled for LSM 2019
The majority of LSM students chose to attend due to encouragement from a caring adult in their life
Financial Security
Through generous financial gifts and discerning stewardship from the Board of Directors, LSM ended the fiscal year in a strong financial position with a balanced budget and a small surplus, which will secure our financial position for the future. At LSM 2019, each faculty studio was sponsored at a level of $1,000 or more, which inspired a culture of gratitude for everyone in the LSM community to see the generosity that makes their experience possible.
New Initiatives
New initiatives at LSM have allowed even more people to experience the fullness of this program. We initiated a bold new vision to completely eliminate the financial barrier to LSM attendance, and implemented the first major step in this plan: a major Tuition Reset for LSM 2019.
LSM 2019 was the inaugural year of the new Fellowship Program, where advanced collegiate or post-graduate musicians serve as peer leaders, gaining practical mentorship skills and working side-by-side with LSM faculty to enrich the artistic experience.
Livestreaming concerts and recitals at LSM has allowed thousands of people all over the world to engage in a new way. Alumni relive their own LSM experience, parents see their child perform from afar, and many experience LSM for the very first time. You can revisit these moments through the video archive for years to come.
We launched a series of regional events entitled An Evening with LSM. These events are modeled after a typical night during LSM. This series allows us to connect and engage with the LSM community across the country, introduce LSM to new audiences, and raise funds for scholarship support.
Meaningful partnerships
Through reaffirming our commitment to our three core values: Music, Faith, and Community, we have been able to build meaningful partnerships with other organizations who share these values. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with the National Lutheran Choir, with whom we not only share office space and resources, but also artistic vision, which was brought to fruition at our Joint Hymn Festival this summer.
We were similarly thrilled to announce our partnership with the Bach Institute at Valparaiso University, which will premiere at LSM 2020.
In addition, our relationship with the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians continues to grow. We look forward to collaborating with ALCM again during LSM 2020 for their Let All the Peoples Praise You event during Festival Week, after the energizing success of a similar event in 2018.
Hope for the future
In this Advent season of faithful anticipation, we feel the powerful hope of things yet to come. The new year will bring with it the launch of the new LSM Advisory Council; its inaugural group made up of LSM alumni who are actively engaged in advancing the vision of LSM. We are already eagerly looking forward to 2021, when we will celebrate 40 years of transforming lives and connecting people through faith and music.
Thank you for keeping LSM in your heart this year, and we joyfully anticipate the years to come as the LSM community grows in every way.