Minutes from the May 13th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Zimfest News Blog
Zimfest Organizing Committee Notes
Dear Zimfest community,
Zimfest 2018 registration has been open nearly a month, and it’s time for a word from the organizing committee (OC). After a frantic “feeding frenzy” the first few days, registrations have slowed down to a steady trickle; we are up to 259 registrations as I write this. There have been a few bugs, but things have been proceeding smoothly the last couple of weeks. Please consult How to Register, and if you experience any problems registering, write to registration(at)zimfest(dot)org and an OC member will help you out. Workshop signups for Friday August 10 have been especially heavy, such that many workshops on the first day are already full. We have added two workshops and made some adjustments so that there are more spaces available that day. However, there are plenty of workshop spaces available on Sunday. A lot is happening on the final day of the festival, so make your plans to stick around and take advantage!
A few brief notes:
- Check the Festival Updates and Workshop Changes page for notification of all workshop additions and adjustments.
- The Concert Schedule has been posted on the website, and performer biographies will be available soon.
- We are aware that the Zimfest 2018 location in Monmouth, OR can be difficult to get to on public transport. Use our Ride Board for offering or requesting rides from nearby destinations such as Portland and Salem.
- If you have signed up for the workshops that you want, and checked the concert schedule for the bands you want to hear, now is the time to sign up for your volunteer shifts. If we have 259 registrants, we’d love to see 259 volunteers signed up – Zimfest runs on your energy!
See you in Monmouth in August,
Claire Jones and the Zimfest 2018 OC
Music Dancing Across Borders
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Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive Update
Greetings Zimbabwean music fans,
Thank you so much for your support, we have raised $2,532 towards our fundraising goal! In addition, a member of the community has generously pledged to match the next $1,000 the community raises from May 26th through June 2nd. Please help us maximize this match towards our goal by making a donation to Zimfest. No donation is too small – just $10 from 100 Zimbabwean music fans will help us get there. Let’s watch the conga get colored in! To donate, go to https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/
Thank you! from the Zimfest Board
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Zimfest 2018 Registration Is Open May 3
Dear Zimfest community,
We are pleased to announce the launch of Zimfest 2018 online registration today, May 3 at 5:00 a.m.! Go to the How to Register page on our website for links to all Festival offerings, tips on negotiating our new registration system, and the button for New Registrations (see “Register using RegFox”). More advanced topics including registering multiple people and making changes to your registration are also addressed on this page.
Further information about Zimfest 2018 programming will emerge in the weeks to come, but we’d like to point out one of the strengths of this year’s workshop schedule right now: the large number of workshops that integrate marimba with singing, dancing, drumming and/or hosho. These sessions, offered by Zimfest teachers in response to our Call for Applications, bring home to students the reality of musical practice in Zimbabwe, the fact that music and dance are rarely separate activities. Teachers, get your students dancing and singing along with marimba from middle school onward, just like Zimbabweans! To be fair to all registrants, we are asking leaders of student groups to not register members of their groups for more than half the maximum enrollment of any specific workshop. Thus, if a marimba workshop has a maximum enrollment of 8, no one group should register for more than 4 of the spots.
Heads-up: you will find the following features of the 2018 registration system different from previous years:
- We are charging room rental by the room, not by the person, and the first person to register will be charged the entire rental amount for the number of days the room is to be occupied (the other person is “the roommate”). Please be aware that you will not be able to choose specific rooms as in past years. See On-Campus Housing for details.
- WOU is requiring that all participants rooming in the dorms for one or more nights purchase one of three meal cards. Requirements and plans are described in detail on the On-Campus Dining.
- Registration is to be paid with credit cards (not PayPal) this year. You will need to pay in full at the time of registration; you cannot hold rooms or places in workshops without paying for them.
See you in Monmouth, August 9-12!
Claire Jones, Zimfest Coordinator
Zimfest 2018 – Music Dancing Across Borders
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Zimfest 2018 Delay of Registration
Hello Zimfest community,
The Zimfest 2018 Organizing Committee and Tech Team will not be going live with online registration today, our target date of May 1. We have discovered some issues with our new registration software and want to make sure we can work around them to make the registration process go as smoothly as possible. Look for another message later this week (possibly as early as tomorrow!) that registration is open.
The good news is that we are pleased to have completed most Zimfest 2018 content and supporting information and published it on the website. You are welcome now to browse through the Workshop List, acquaint yourself with the 2018 teachers, and/or explore the 2018 festival website for information about the schedule and housing and dining options. The 2018 homepage is a good place to start your explorations.
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- Don’t forget that the Registration Fee (now $15) is waived for Zimfest Association members. Become a ZA member now or renew your membership before you register for Zimfest 2018. An individual membership costs $25; there are special rates for couples and families, and a teacher membership for leaders of student groups.
- Announcing festival events on the website: We are excited this year to present a panel discussion on the topic of Cultural Appropriation. This will take place Saturday morning August 11 from 9:30 to 11:30 when no workshops or concerts will be happening. All Zimfest participants are invited to attend.
- Browse the volunteer tasks to decide how you’d like to contribute at the festival, or claim your shift(s) now on the Volunteer Signup page.
- Reminder: Vendor applications are open on the website. We look forward to a varied and exciting African Marketplace this year!
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Look for more news very soon,
Your Zimfest 2018 Organizing Committee &
The Fabulous Zimfest Tech Team
Zimfest 2018 – Music Dancing Across Borders
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April Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the April 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive
Greetings, Zimbabwean music fans!
Zimbabwean Independence Day is April 18th and Zimfest 2018 is only four months away. Help us keep Zimfest and the celebration of Zimbabwean culture strong and active into the future.
Our fundraising goal for this year is $8,000, and we’ve already raised $1,600! The remaining $6,400 could easily be met if each of our 400 participants contributed $16. See the various ways you can donate by visiting https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/.
Thank you!
— Zimfest Association Board
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March Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the March 11th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Zimfest 2018 Updates
Greetings Zimfest community,
Following the end of the application period, March and April have been very busy and productive times for the Zimfest 2018 Organizing Committee and Tech Team. As we work towards the target date of May 1 to open online registration, we want to let you know that:
- Vendor applications for the Marketplace are now being accepted on the Vendor Information and Application page on the website. The deadline for vendor applications is July 16, 2018.
- The Organizing Committee has announced this year’s Zimbabwean guest teachers and performers on the 2018 homepage – a truly stunning and star-studded lineup!
- While you are on the Zimfest 2018 homepage, please note that we have been adding informational pages as they become available. Click on the overhead menus for the festival schedule, housing and dining info, etc.
- We received what might be a record number of workshop proposals and performance applications, requiring difficult decisions on the part of the Organizing Committee. We now have a workshop grid and tentative performance schedule, and teachers and performers are being notified of the status of their applications . Contracts will be sent later in the month.
Enjoy the spring weather!
Claire and the Organizing Committee
Zimfest 2018: Music Dancing Across Borders
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Letter from the Zimfest Board
Dear Zimfest Community,
We hope you have had an excellent start to the year and that you are looking forward to joining us in Monmouth, OR for Zimfest 2018! The Festival Organizing Committee has been hard at work to create a fun and memorable festival experience for attendees, teachers and performers. We can support them and encourage their work by increasing volunteer participation and raising much-needed funds.
Here are a few ways you can help:
- Volunteer on the Organizing Committee: The Organizing Committee is still in need of volunteers to fill key roles such as Afternoon Stage Manager and Teacher/Workshop Coordinator Assistant. If you are interested, please contact Zimfest Festival Coordinator Claire Jones at claire (at) zimfest (dot)org / 206 328-4011, and/or Volunteer Coordinator Carla Starck at volunteers (at )zimfest (dot) org.
- Contribute to Fundraising Efforts. As a non-profit organization, donations, membership fees, and the funds reserved after each festival are crucial for financing festival expenses.
- Donate in the Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive. This year, we are aiming to raise $8,000 towards the cost of:
- Transportation, room and board for the group of talented Zimbabwean teachers
- Implementing the new festival registration system
- Purchasing marimbas to augment the supply of instruments at the festival
- Leverage Employer Matching programs. Employer matching donation programs are an easy way to maximize the value of your donations.
- Host fundraising events in your local community. Some fun ideas of raising funds in support of Zimfest include benefit concerts, dance parties, dinners and silent auctions. Share your events on the Zimfest Facebook Page so that we can see all the exciting events that are being planned to support Zimfest 2018.
- Sign up for or renew your Zimfest membership. By becoming a member of Zimfest Association, individuals and families can support the long-term viability of Zimfest. https://zimfest.org/about/membership/
- Support Zimfest through other channels. See https://zimfest.org/about/support-zimfest/ for other ways to contribute to the Zimfest Association
- Donate in the Zimfest 2018 Fundraising Drive. This year, we are aiming to raise $8,000 towards the cost of:
As members of our vibrant Zimbabwean music community, we all must contribute the money and volunteer hours that are needed to keep the Zimfest spirit alive and thriving this year and beyond. Your response to this call will help us gauge our ability to host Zimfest 2019, so please show your support. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact us at board (at) zimfest (dot) org.
Tatenda/Siyabonga!
Zimfest Association Board
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February Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the February 11th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Maharimba Instruments for Sale
Greetings friends,
The Maharimbas of Corvallis, OR have retired after 30 years of performing, and are selling their marimbas. The set consists of five instruments, all Padauk keys:
Bass from C (bottom note), D E F G A B C D E (top note)
Comes with a strong bench
Baritone from G (bottom note) to A B C D E F G A B C D E (top note)
Comes with a strong bench
Two tenors, one lead—all have three octaves, with no F#
There is also a set of Matador Timbales on a professional stand, and a set of percussion instruments on a professional stand—2 bells and 3 blocks, and room for more.
Finally, there are 2 sets of bass mallets, and 2 sets of baritone mallets. Everything is in good working order. PVC pipes underneath, keys, etc.
The Maharimbas
These instruments were made by Peter Bush in Estacada.
We are offering the full set for $1650, or any best offer over that! Will deliver to most places in Oregon for the cost of fuel. Please contact Sara Swanberg via email at saraswan (at) casco (dot) net.
This message is posted on behalf of Sara Swanberg and the Maharimbas while we wait for Dandemutande to come back online!
Fambai zvakanaka Maharimbas!
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