Why This Work Matters - A letter from Sangeeta Reddy
Dear Friends of Heartland Sings,
Happy summer! I hope you're keeping cool. I've been outside most days, performing on the ART-V alongside our Principal Artists and getting some much needed Vitamin D! And during this exciting time, I have done some deep reflection on what this kind of work means to me. Today, I’d like to share these thoughts with you.
Heartland's Summer Season on the ART-V is one of my favorite times of the year, because I get to meet so many new people during each performance. This year, I have the great privilege of demonstrating Heartland's mission of "Changing Lives Through Song" by showcasing my own vocal skills! Through upbeat and engaging music, we're able to connect with audiences all across Northeast Indiana. And these kinds of programs are central to why I chose to work at Heartland Sings.
In fact, I’ve known about Heartland’s innovative programs since I was just a senior in high school. During a three-week internship at Heartland in 2017, I learned about all the basic elements of nonprofit arts administration; and I also got a glimpse into the community work that Heartland had begun doing with public schools and organizations such as Turnstone. As somebody whose life was made significantly better by musical endeavors as a child, I was thrilled to see that Heartland was making such an effort to bring vocal music opportunities to multiple communities in need of them.
Around this same time, I had a friend at school who was very passionate about singing (and had a very melodic voice), but couldn’t afford to explore that passion further by taking lessons or participating in other music activities. My friend’s situation, paired with my growing knowledge of community arts outreach, inspired me to help change other people’s lives through song in any way I could.
But over the years, I learned that it takes a lot of work for arts organizations like Heartland to achieve that. We could not do what we do without support from not only donors and sponsors, but also partners in the arts and culture sector who have a strong collaborative spirit. And through my experiences with the arts nonprofits I have worked for since graduating college, I have discovered how I can personally contribute to our creative community.
My effort to help strengthen the Fort Wayne arts community manifests in three ways. The first, which I already briefly mentioned above, is offering my own artistic skills for performances (putting my Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance to good use!). The second is using my administrative experience to help arts nonprofits such as Heartland Sings acquire the resources necessary to increase their impact. And the third is personally contributing to multiple local nonprofits by becoming a patron, volunteering, or making donations. My giving philosophy is simple: I want others to have access to the arts like I did. I want to do what I wish I could have done for my friend back in high school. This is based not only on my personal view of how impactful the arts are to individuals and communities, but also on literal metrics provided by arts advocacy and workforce development organizations that show that impact clearly.
Side note: if you’d like to learn more about the impact of Northeast Indiana’s creative economy, I highly recommend reading <Mt Auburn Associates’ Creative Economy Strategic Plan> for this region. This was a game-changer for me in terms of knowing how large of a role the creative economy plays in the functioning of our region (hint: it’s massive!).
You don’t have to share the same music experience as me, or participate in artistic endeavors at all, to understand what the arts do for our region, our state, our country, and the whole world. Today, I invite you to reflect on your giving philosophy. What are you passionate about? In what ways do you want to make our community a better place for everyone? What lasting impact would you like to make? And then, if you haven’t already, think about forming a giving plan of your own. I did, and now I’m never looking back.
One song that I'm performing on the ART-V this summer is Carole King's "You've Got A Friend"; and I believe that this fully encapsulates my role in this community, as well as Heartland’s. We are here to lend a helping hand for those who need one. We are invested in the growth of this community and the entire region. You've got a friend in us...and we'd love for you to be our friend too!
Thank you!