Ear Taxi Festival – Statement of Purpose

New Music Chicago’s presentation of Ear Taxi Festival is intended to be a repeatable model of a curated festival of 21st century music that can be presented by any designated leadership team elected from and by New Music Chicago’s Executive Board. 

The leadership of Ear Taxi Festival and New Music Chicago believe it is the moral obligation of all arts organizations to do a detailed, good-faith, and in-depth accounting of all practices related to questions of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to engage with questions of the valuation of musical labor and consumption in a thoughtful and nuanced manner. It expresses this commitment on multiple levels including: 

  • stylistic, aesthetic, artistic perspectives.
  • showcasing Chicago’s neighborhoods and venues.
  • logistical and structural accessibility for all audience members and festival participants.
  • hiring and partnership with creative affiliates, festival staff, panel discussion and workshop speakers, and volunteers. 

As Ear Taxi Festival is a presentation of New Music Chicago, it also strives to strengthen New Music Chicago as an organization by:  

  • creating interest in New Music Chicago membership through Ear Taxi Festival participation and attendance as well as by highlighting ongoing New Music Chicago activities. These include workshops, New Music Chicago “hangs,” networking and two concert series: New Music Chicago Presents and Impromptu Fest.
  • encouraging the health and function of the New Music Chicago Executive Board and its ability to serve and address the needs of its membership through the process of presenting Ear Taxi Festival.
  • strategically and consistently identifying New Music Chicago as the presenting organization of Ear Taxi Festival.
  • demonstrating a highly sophisticated level of art and organization that will appeal to funders who can be engaged to support future New Music Chicago endeavors.
  • being as helpful as possible to New Music Chicago leaders as they pursue future iterations of Ear Taxi Festivals by:
    • creating new logo designs that are relevant and timeless and include versions of the logo that identify New Music Chicago as the presenting organization.
    • carefully documenting collaborations (with venues, affiliate partners, etc.) and processes (including developing the budget and strategic planning) to assist future leaders in understanding the trajectory of creating Ear Taxi Festival 2021 so that they may further streamline the planning process in the future.
    • meeting bi-weekly with New Music Chicago leadership and providing regular updates to the New Music Chicago Executive Board for the purpose of creating a transparent structure of accountability. It is a priority to Ear Taxi Festival leadership to share a spirit of collaboration with New Music Chicago in all aspects of planning and to strive towards the mutual benefit of both organizations.