About Us – Iowa City Music Auxiliary

What is the Iowa City Music Auxiliary?

We are the parent organization dedicated to the support and enrichment of all performance music programs – band, orchestra, choir – in the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD). These great programs are available to every student in the district, reaching students in 5th–12th grade.

What we support

During the 2022/2023 school year, we provided approximately $55,000 to our music programs, including:

- Transportation (e.g., elementary and junior high tours, travel for high school performing groups)
- Entry fees for competitions and honors ensembles
- Direct support to all elementary, junior high, and high school music programs
- Uniform cleaning
- Student awards

Our support significantly reduces the cost of music education for the families in our community!

Changing needs for the 2023-2024 school year

ICCSD is committed to delivering our high-quality Performance Music programs, so the need for financial support from parents and the community remains. Our goal is to increase our fundraising efforts to expand our support for new music experiences for our students.

How can you join the Music Auxiliary?

Rather than charging a membership fee, we raise money for music activities by asking for donations:

- through mailings
- at concerts (ticket sales belong to the school district, so look for our collection boxes at the ticket table)
- at special events like our Winter Salt Sale and Spring Garden Sale
- through the ICCSD Foundation website (choose “Music Auxiliary” from campaign list):

Donate at the ICCSD Foundation

How else can you help?

- Volunteer at one of our fundraisers
- Become an at-large member
- Join the executive board
- Ask your child’s music director about becoming their parent representative

Each month, a parent representative from each ICCSD Band, Orchestra, and Choir program attends the Iowa City Music Auxiliary meeting.

2023-2024 School Year Meeting Dates:

All meetings will be held on the 4th Monday of the month at 7 pm. Three meetings will be held at the high schools, and the rest will be held through Zoom (updates to this schedule is coming soon).

- - - September 25, 2023
    - October 23, 2023
    - November 27, 2023
    - (No meeting in December)
    - January 22, 2024
    - February 26, 2024
    - March 25, 2024
    - April 22, 2024
    - May 27, 2024

Roles and Responsibilities of a Parent Representative:

- - Attend monthly Auxiliary meetings (4th Monday of the month) and give director’s report.
    - A week or so before the MA meeting, you may need to email your director to remind him/her to send you and the MA secretary a copy of their monthly report

- - Participate on committees, such as:
    - Corporate fund raising
    - Winter salt sale
    - Merchandise
    - Spring garden sale
    - Social media

- - Take tickets/money at each concert you are a parent rep for
    - - Get a list of parent emails from your director. A week or so before each concert email parents and ask for 1-2 volunteers to help you take tickets/money at the concert. This is a great way to other parents involved and maybe they will take on a larger MA responsibility in the future.
    - - Find out from your director, for concerts where to get the following:
        
        Programs and donor inserts
        
        School district ticket signs
        
        MA donation box
        
        Orchid donor forms
        
        Money box and family passes
  - Concert Procedures
    - - MA sign displayed with the orchid donor letters nearby
    - - Sign – price of tickets and family passes on the table where the money is taken
    - - When someone purchases a family pass, they receive two passes (one for each parent). When a person presents a pass, that pass allows ALL family members (parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friend, etc.) no matter how many.
  - Donor list inserted in the programs at the end of the school year
    - - Music directors and parent rep need to discuss who will assemble.