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Hello from KLKP command central in Forget, SK.

Here I am, sitting at my kitchen table, the one which has been in my family for more than 40 years, and in someone else’s family for many more than that. I look at Freya snoozing on the couch in front of the fireplace, my mother in her chair giggling at the television,  a lovely cup of coffee at my elbow, and my computer smoking with activity.  And it’s the start of Kitchen Party Season. 

It’s Lovely Labour. 

KLKP has always been a labour of LOVE,  and has always operated under the philosophy of “if you build it, they will come. ” Using this philosophy we’ve built a great camp, built amazing staffs and indeed, our KLKP participants have supported us;  we have been grateful for that ongoing presence.  For more than 15 years, this philosophy has been WILDLY effective.

So, my friends, I’m going to share with you the new version as we go forward, and I am confident that many of you will ride this crazy version with us and explore what 2020 has to offer. 

Perhaps you caught wind of some side-stories, or just snippets of conversation at KLKP the past couple of years, but  the real truth is this; when we left camp in August 2019, we were not sure we’d be able to operate in 2020!  Lots of crazy factors – I won’t bore you.

The reality is  simple; I miscalculated! It happens ( believe it or not!) And though many variables were carefully scrutinized, I believe that I simply mis-read the impact of years of a local failing economy.

Local people  have now gone through much of their savings, and are now in “emergency mode” where all extras are being carefully weighed. It’s heavy times for many families.  My heart aches for their difficulties.  

When we began our KLKP journey so long ago,  local registrations were 80% and “away” registrations were 20%. This year, it was completely reversed. In fact the bulk of our registrations came from out of province! And this shift has had serious consequences for our bottom line. Additionally, because we did not want to turn anyone away, we offered many  bursaries and dipped far into our reserve funds.  WE even tried   fund-raising for extra programming to help out. 

And in 2020 it’s time to employ the same financial management strategies for the camp as I have expounded on in my personal life  (and bored many of you with ) for years. Time to live within our means and take a new financial approach.

So here it is.  I’ve built a sustainable model  of KLKP using  a clear and concise bottom line. 

This means that initially, I’ll be hiring a much, much smaller staff than in previous years. However, as we exceed our   predicted number of registrants, I’ll then simply add more staff.  And as we may enlarge class sizes, we have a cool idea of utilizing Teaching assistants – but that’s a whole other tale of cool developments for a later time. 

We’re also going to  put some of  the onus on participants as well!   For instance, if folks want a class in a particular instrument, we will need to assemble 5 participants in that instrument.

That is a sustainable model and will allow us to move forward into the future (without  bottom line panic!)  Here are some class ideas that people have asked us about in the past: if we get FIVE people, then I’ll hire a kick butt instructor for that particular class, In fact, I have many clinicians in mind who would be lovely to add to our staff! ( Step dancing / Song-writing / Cello / Mandolin / Accordion / Harp )  I do apologize that we cannot accommodate bagpipes!! Even KLKP has limits!

A team of us have also analyzed what we feel are the “best bangs for the buck” for participants.  We’ve removed some programming and have added some programming, and come up with alternative ideas that will continue to build our little community and let everyone participate as they wish to.

For instance:

• KLKP  will no longer offer “raw beginner” classes in instruments. Frankly it’s just not the best value for  money! ( for instance, fiddlers will need to be able to play 5 tunes, pianists will need to know several scales and chords, guitar players should be able to chord in the keys of D, A and G,  – like that!  ) BUT  we’re going to do some fun Kitchen Party programming in FORGET over the summer, and  will offer raw-beginner classes then, which means that theoretically a person could come to one of those clinics and learn the basics, and then would be able to simply enter the beginner class at camp! Win-win! More camps – more fun!

• Our piano class will only be offered ONE week. And will be an intermediate/ low advanced  class with a focus on accompaniment skills.

• We’re expanding programming to include ART instruction. YAY.

• Somehow, our SNACK budget has gotten out of control!! LOL So this year, we’ll keep the fun jelly-bean snack centre for the kids each day, but reduce things like chips and junk food.  We think it will be fun for everyone  to potluck snacks for the evening after the concert if they wish. 

• And some instruments will only be offered on one of the weeks. We’’ll be sad if a person cannot attend the week their instrument is offered, but we are hoping that we are providing enough time to adjust plans to accommodate the great instruction we are lining up.

• WE WILL be offering an unchaperoned child (age 9 – 15) program in week ONE only. However this supervision will not be offered to any child who has a parent on site with them.

• And JAMMING!! We’re still working on it, but we’re creating a Jam based camp this year, with instruction in jamming, practising in guided jams and all sorts of fun collaborations around JAMMING. We’re pretty excited about the model.

And here are some of the  other fun things we’ll be altering:

A.  We’re also putting out a call for volunteers!  I have always appreciated being on the inside of an organization – helping out where I can, offering my expertise, and I know that many of you are the exact same.  Additionally, if you’re new to camp, it’s a great and quick way to get to know lots fo people… so we’ll be adding on a line to registration if you’d like to help out in some fashion:  before camp? During camp? After camp? During the year?  Just let us know and we’d love to include you. 

B.  A participant suggestion was to add in some Teaching assistants to our classes, and we’ll be making some offers for these as well.

C.  We’ll also be looking to expand our board to include some working positions as well. Might that interest you? (just a note – the  meetings are minimal and always involve great food. Or WILL. LOL)

D.  And we’re getting OUT of the merchandise business. Personally, I’m not a shopper, and we all seem to agree that the extra STUFF in our life is not adding joy and happiness… so we’ll be blowing out all of our old merchandise this year ( giveaways and draws).  But we are KEEPING our fabulous, hand crafted bags which everyone loves and uses.  Good trade, I think!

So, please keep watching as we build this new and sustainable model.  Thank you for your continued confidence in our vision.

We are so grateful to have the continued opportunity to anticipate two weeks with this wonderful family of the KLKP community – both those who have been with us in the past, and all the new folks we get to experience as we move forward. Please share your experiences with your friends, and if YOU have any ideas to add to our constant growth model, please reach out and let me know! I LOVE to talk about ideas. 

Thank you.

Michele

Okay. I admit it. I’m a bit of a perfectionist in recovery.  I make lists. In fact, I actually have a “book of lists.”  Okay, if I’m being completely honest, I have a SERIES of books of lists.

They are all in the exact same book (which I buy from the Pharmasave in Carlyle, because I love the texture of the paper and the solid feel of the book.) And I keep them all – for reference sake – because I also make notes in them which I may need to remember in the future. They are in a drawer. It is very full. 

Sometimes, if I do something that’s not on “the list” for my day, I’ll sneakily add it to the list just for the joy of crossing it off.  I know, I know.  Sigh.

I set deadlines, I am tough on myself if I miss them or mess them up.  Because, you know, I’m the chick who gets Sh*t done!  I have expectations of myself, and am hard on myself if I don’t meet those.

Yes. I have a problem  And I’m getting over it.

In fact, I’m generally trying to get over myself – isn’t that a work in progress?  Learning to be more … chill. Rolling with the punches… easing up on the DO-ing and working harder on the BEing.

If you know how to do this effectively, let’s have us a little chat, shall we?

See,  when I reflect on the problem, I boil it down to this:  expectations are like a set of criteria. I expect a particular result, and if I don’t get it, then I am disappointed. For instance, if I add 1 + 1, I expect I will get 2.  If I don’t get 2, then I’m WRONG!

Last year at KLKP, Daniel Koulack said to me (as I was fussing over some detail of the new schedule – I think the dance, actually) “You create this perfect space, and you assemble an amazing team of people. Just trust that what you’ve build is great, and let it do its work!”

But this suggestion  invites me to live in the land of EXPECTANCY:  where the joy is in being open to what happens next.   Like, what happens if you add 1 GIRL RABBIT + 1 BOY RABBIT?   Ah ha! See where I’m going with this? 

So,  the announcement about the instructors for 2018 is not entirely on “time.” But who set that expectation? ME.

And my hiring is not exactly complete yet, as I try to reach some folks by phone who are proving elusive (but they are the perfect persons for the position that week… so I keep trying!) And because of this, I can’t even contact some of my all-time favourite instructors, because this is like building a house of cards!!

Or government grants are slow to convey results of applications for summer students.  Or as you are diligently working on updating the website one night, the shower in your house starts leaking as you watch in incredulity as your pendant light starts to shower water all over your kitchen island. (Which, by the way, in the lamplight, was pretty super-cool looking, if I didn’t think about the possible destruction of my ceiling or my fear of electrocution  as I rushed to turn off the power to the light!)

But who set that Hiring Expectation?  ME.

Expectations seem to come with a finite goal: Either they are MET or they are FAILED.

Instead, if I approach the process as an exciting journey of possibilities, things appear very different.

I want you to know that  the planning is looking awesome for KLKP2018, and I’m so excited for these two weeks.

It was a struggle at times, working on personality balance within the weeks,( especially with my expectations for myself)  but as I finalize the last few hires (one key one for week one) I can see the shape of the weeks, and they’re going to be lovely!

Finding the perfect person for each position, thinking outside the box to imagine how KLKP can be a great blend of learning, rest, fellowship and fun for all is energizing.  I am thrilled when someone like Kanndece Sawitsky makes a cool suggestion at the end of camp last year, and I can see a way to incorporate that idea into this year’s planning.  I’m excited when I can consult a long-time participant over what HER idea for a great instructor direction would be… and then I can follow up on that. 

And I’m still building these halcyon weeks. I’m doing what I do, and I’m GOOD at it. I’m spending the time I need to spend to  build a great space and  a wonderful team of people! So I guess it’s okay to adjust my own time line and schedule in favour of the big picture!

It has also become evident that the very event which I’ve been preparing for for years is now upon us!  I talk a good story about future-planning – for training up new  teachers, for forward-thinking administration ( and even for someday replacing myself).  I have expected that  the health of all fiddle/ music camps lies in the planning for the future that we do (hence the internship program at KLKP)  .. and the future is NOW!

Many of my mainstays  are unable to free themselves up in 2018 (like  my daughter Brienne, for instance, who won’t be able to make it to KLKP at all, and who has been instrumental in developing smart systems for making things work  and so I don’t get things too complicated.)

Brie has this way of telling me I’m being an idiot with a mere look and a raised eyebrow! Like the time I thought it would be a great idea to pre-load all of the participant bags early and label them with nametags –  and of course this would have been time consuming and storage-heavy  with few benefits!

Some friends who I have come to rely on over the years, for their good sense, their way of calming down or offering sage advice, or just a big old bear hug to make an awesome day more awesomer – well, some of them won’t be here this year either.  POOP.

I’m going to miss them. I’m also going to be open to the expectancy of  discoveringNEW friends, new people to lean on and to hug.  So who will be my “Daniel Koulack” model 2018? –  The one who I stay up late with harassing about Bananagram games or who offers me snippets of sage advice which stick to my heart?

PS.  FYI Daniel is going to be spending a month on the African continent with his son, on a much-delayed trip to learn drumming from MASTERS!  Awesome. Totally awesome in all of the best ways.

But the expectancy which arrives with  NEW friends – new people to get to know, to share space with, who will  add their special flair to KLKP – that’s also  exciting  to anticipate! So over the next little while, I shall update some biographies to the web page and to Facebook, so you can get to know them a little in advance as well!

What fun the journey is going to be in 2018!

What amazing possibilities are going to greet each of us  at KLKP 2018? What gifts will each participant, each parent, each child, each musician, artist, teacher,  friend share with us this year?  What will my take-a-ways be this year?

That’s what being open to possibilities is about! Learning when to set the lists aside and live in expectancy instead of expectation!

I’m working on it!