Published in the 2018 edition of Noteworthy, the alumni and friends magazine for the University of Tennessee School of Music.

Gala Lays Fundraising Groundwork

2018 was a record-breaking year for fundraising. In total, $120,000 was raised for student scholarships at the gala, hosted by the School of Music Board of Advisors, a number that has risen dramatically in the past few years.

The gala has become the School of Music’s number one public fundraising event, but its beginnings were little more than a group of friends gathering for a nice dinner. In 1985, Leonard and Glo Klarich were remodeling their house and happened to have a concert grand piano that needed a good home. They offered the piano to UT’s music department, where it was happily accepted. Later, Ken Keeling, the director of the music department at the time, expressed to Klarich a greater need for donations.

Inspired by her conversations with Keeling, Klarich organized a dinner at Naples Italian Restaurant in Bearden and invited about 20 friends. A student violinist serenaded guests as they dined. She called the evening Music Feeds the Soul, and raised a few hundred dollars.

Her passion and flare earned Klarich the unofficial title of “fundraiser” on the school’s Board of Advisors where she teamed up with fellow board member, Theresa Stone, to continue hosting dinner fundraisers at various locations in the Knoxville area, always with entertainment by UT musicians.

As gala attendance grew, a larger event space became necessary. The Cherokee Country Club has provided a grand, elegant backdrop for the past several years. Guests enjoy a cocktail hour for mingling and bidding on silent auction items. Student performers take center stage during dinner and guests have the opportunity to bid on the performances to later book for their own private event. Other live auction packages offered regularly include travel and culinary experiences.

The energy of the event has really ramped up. Gala committee chair Karen White and co-chair Jan Bechtel say their number one goal has been to make the gala a fun event that people want to come back to year after year.

“The School of Music gala is a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else. You get to enjoy the skilled performances of our wonderful students and faculty, the individuals who are directly benefiting from the funds raised,” said White.

“Where else can you purchase a live performance to bring into your own home or event?”

Karen White, Board of Advisors co-chair

Introducing a theme to this annual event, as Bechtel pointed out, has increased the excitement. “We will continue to have live auction offerings that tie in closely with the theme, said Bechtel. The 2018 Red, White, and Orange Gala, which was an all-American theme, included an extended weekend trip to Nashville with VIP tickets to the CMA festival, meet and greets with country music stars, and a personal tour by Buzz Cason of his recording studio. A surprise grand finale performance by members of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band rounded off the night.

In 2019, guests can look forward to a gala themed Rite of Spring, taking place Saturday, March 9, at the Cherokee Country Club, beginning at 6 p.m.

Establishing a Development Council

In 2010, construction plans for a new music building were announced. A stunning new facility with a 421-seat recital hall generated an incredible buzz of excitement, further strengthened by the backing to become an All-Steinway School in 2013. Giving to student scholarships and endowments gained renewed interest among alumni and patrons alike.

With the increased momentum of giving came more creative and diverse ideas for allocating funds. But Director of the School of Music Jeffrey Pappas and Director of Development Chris Cox also recognized some areas of the budget were being underserved. So, over the course of two years, they formed a strategic development plan.

In tandem with the university’s $1.1 billion Join the Journey campaign, the School of Music rolled out its own capital campaign with specific priorities.

  • $10 million to find endowed student scholarships
  • $2 million to support faculty development
  • $1 million to invest in innovative excellence
  • $1 million for a visiting artist/scholar endowment
  • $1 million to develop the Tennessee Music Heritage Center
  • $500,000 per area ($6 million total) for strategic area-specific priorities

With these ambitious goals, came the need for greater support and advocacy. The Board of Advisors continued its targeted work locally, with successively greater fundraising and awareness accomplishments at two annual events. Pappas and Cox determined that equal energy needed to be focused on the national level in order to reach a wider scope of new donors. Thus, the School of Music Development Council was born.

With thorough consideration, the following 10 volunteer-leaders were strategically selected to support the capital campaign through personal gifts and active advocacy to potential donors across the country.

  • Daniel F. McGehee (chair)
  • Carol Aebersold
  • Jan Bechtel
  • William Burkhart
  • Jimmy Cheek
  • R.E. (Ed) Lay
  • Alan Sefton
  • Jim Self
  • Doc Severinsen
  • Karen White

These dedicated volunteers have been charged with guiding and assisting the School of Music in reaching the necessary and visionary priorities outlined above. The goal of the capital campaign is to raise $21 million by 2025. That total might sound crazy, but the benchmark of raising $10 million by 2020 has already been exceeded.

The motto of the campaign is: If we don’t ask, they won’t give. Along with everyone who assists in fundraising and friend-raising, the newly formed Development Council will be an important addition to the ongoing and successful development efforts.