Chamber Pops is hosting its second annual concert at 7:00 PM on Feb. 16th at the Rialto. After a rollercoaster first year, I talked to founder and current Enloe sophomore Davis Baker to learn more about what’s changed and what goes on behind the scenes.
What is Chamber Pops?
Chamber Pops is a nonprofit music festival featuring high school students from across Wake County that is held at the Rialto movie theatre each year. “The goal is for everyone to bring songs that they are passionate about and they enjoy,” says Baker. Typically, school concerts present classical arrangements, so holding a festival dedicated to pop music that students are invested in is valuable. Additionally, all profits go to Raleigh Music Collective, a foundation that offers free music lessons to underprivileged communities.
After their inaugural concert last year (which was mostly a one-man-show run by Baker), Chamber Pops created a full team to bring back the festival for a new group of listeners and performers.
Unique Solutions to Difficult Problems
Running a nonprofit as high schoolers presents its own challenges in terms of logistics, funding, and access. Regardless, Baker and his team can find a solution. Planning the concert is a year-long process so board members work around the clock to find performers, navigate costs, and plan with the Rialto. Even simple pieces like choosing the concert date can present challenges. “Picking a date for the concert is really hard. We didn’t want to do it in the first semester because it competed with marching band…January is district auditions. February, we thought, ok, this could work. Then we figured out that…a lot of people are out of town on Presidents Day weekend,” Baker says.
As they inch closer to performance day, finding creative solutions to logistical problems is essential. The Chamber Pops team has mastered this. For example, Baker explains the challenges present when warming up: “There’s not a whole bunch of places [for students] to warm up inside the theater because the house opens pretty early…So we would send people outside, but it was like 20°. Apparently, for $15.00 we can rent A U-haul and drive it 0.5 miles down the road and park it in the back of the theater with a space heater.” Answers might not always be elegant, but the results are positive and that’s what matters.
Making an Impact Built to Last
As some students who run their own organizations may know, ensuring that the program continues at Enloe long after graduation is a difficult task. “We have to put things in place if we want it to continue on. Students aren’t really able to do that,” Baker describes some of the challenges his team faces, “You have to have someone over the age of eighteen to file those papers and do a lot for you…Having to deal with government and official procedures is pretty challenging.”
Chamber Pops is currently in the process of forming a 501(c)(3), a legally registered tax-exempt nonprofit. This will give the organization certain legal protections and allow Baker to establish bylaws to preserve the spirit of Chamber Pops even after he’s gone.
“[It’s] a lot of legal documents. A little bit of asking my dad for help. More legal documents, and just research,” says Andrew Hirsch, the organization’s treasurer who has handled much of the heavy paperwork, “We need to create more documents now because, down the line, people might not follow what the essence of Chamber Pops really is…it’s been a challenge to think about all of the eventualities.” Despite the difficulties, Hirsch and the rest of the team have worked hard to make the nonprofit sustainable for years to come.
In the meantime, the Chamber Pops team is looking for new ways to reach other schools and performers interested in getting involved. The goal is to make the festival a truly cross-county phenomenon, giving more students a chance to be part of this special event.
Purchase tickets now at: https://chamberpops.com/tickets/
Or follow them on Instagram @chamberpops
