PLAYING WITH PURPOSE

About the Program:

“Playing With Purpose” will inspire, encourage and heal students, teachers, and audiences alike. Today’s youth seem increasingly interested in “why” we do something, and Playing With Purpose begins to answer the question, “Why do we learn music?” The program focuses on the personal character development of each student and teacher with the idea that the instruments and music are just some of our tools - very powerful tools - for having a positive impact in this world…one concert at a time. In addition to learning pops-style charts to accompany the band, students will also engage in communicating their language through basic, comfortable improvisation, as well as experience the band’s “Broken Beyond Repair” concept. Discovering new sounds on broken instruments whose repair cost is greater than the value of the instrument (some of which may come from the school’s inventory), students will be poignantly reminded that all we come into contact with has special value and meaning, a unique gift to share.

 

Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road has a long history of inspiring music students and their teachers while helping string programs grow and reach high levels of achievement. Playing With Purpose serves as the basis for their educational engagement throughout the USA and indeed around the world. Students and teachers alike will have their music world flipped upside-down when they witness Kyle Dillingham blaze a trail on his fiddle. The youngest recipient ever of the prestigious Oklahoma Governor's Arts Award, Dillingham’s music has taken him around the world, performing in over 35 countries as “Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassador.” Playing guitar in the band is the 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, Peter Markes, who has over fifteen years of experience in the string orchestra classroom and has taken student groups to perform at Carnegie Hall and the prestigious Midwest Clinic. Playing upright bass is veteran performer, Brent Saulsbury, who has over 30 years experience performing and teaching private studio lessons on bass, guitar, and saxophone.

 

As a band, Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road has received numerous awards, including the International Acoustic Music Award and the Oklahoma City Gazette’s Best Band recognition. They have opened for the Oakridge Boys, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Lee Greenwood, and have performed throughout the world from audiences of just a few royalty to crowds of over 15,000. Most recently, they had their debut performance as Guest Artists on the Grand Ole Opry, the stage that made country music famous. On behalf of the U.S. State Department, they performed two separate American Music Abroad tours of Korea, Taiwan, Burma and Russia in 2013 and Kosovo and Kuwait in 2019, and a Cultural Crossroad tour of Liberia, Africa, in 2014. Horseshoe Road has been presented on many concert series in PACs and on college campuses throughout the Midwest, and they have performed their school program with the Norman, Stillwater, Edmond, Mid-Del, Bethany (Oklahoma), and Raytown (Missouri) Public School Orchestras.

 

Other offerings can include: master classes on violin, guitar, and/or improvisation; Christmas, Patriotic, or other themed shows; live-looping violin demonstration (see www.youtube.com/PeterMarkesMusic for more); or teacher professional development or community group lectures on leadership and/or music in our schools. Through their high energy and positive enthusiasm, Horseshoe Road has generated countless free press stories for community events, and they look forward to doing the same for your program.

 

Basic Overview:

• Playing With Purpose can be a one-, two-, or three-day program that includes up to four hours of workshops/rehearsals each day and a two-hour concert.

• A Glasser Bow Company acoustic-electric carbon composite violin with case and bow will be donated to be raffled off at the concert. 100% of any profits beyond production costs will benefit the school program. Kyle Dillingham plays Glasser bows exclusively.

• Presenting schools may record the performance for school use only. Broadcast to social or other media is prohibited due to international copyright law.

• A complete contract will also include:

  • Technical rider

  • Marketing tips

  • Sponsorship ideas and opportunities

  • Pricing, payment and cancellation policies 

  • Transportation, meal, and lodging requirements

  • Merchandising ideas

• View some performances and gain insight into the group’s teaching philosophy. 

  • News piece featuring HSR international tour and educational outreach

  • Peter Markes - Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Finalist Video

  • Kyle Dillingham performing Dark Eyes with the Edmond North High School Orchestra

  • Visit www.HorseshoeRoad.net for updates.

 

 

Sample One-Day Schedule:

• 9:30 a.m. Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road (HSR) conduct meet and greet with short, informal performance for administration in school media center or front offices.

• 10:00 a.m. Load in and sound check equipment in  performance venue

• 11:30 a.m. Lunch (provided at school)

• 12:30 p.m. Workshop(s) - two 1-hour workshops (may be with one or two separate groups)

• 3:30 p.m. 2-hour dress rehearsal with students (run through all music - up to 9 tunes)

• 5:30 p.m. Dinner (provided by school)

• 6:30 p.m. Meet and greet with additional school administrators, donors, and community leaders.

• 7:00 p.m. Showtime

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Sample Two-Day Schedule:

Day One

• 12:00 p.m. HSR conducts afternoon Q&A performance session for non-performing student classes, such as middle school feeder or other music classes (choir, theory, band, etc.) 

• After School or Evening Options

  • HSR performs informal concert and Q&A for friends and family or local youth orchestra

  • HSR performs for local church, media outlet, assisted living center, school board or other community meeting, etc.

Day Two

• 8:00 a.m. HSR plays live on a morning news show to plug the concert that night!

• See “Sample One Day Schedule” afternoon above

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Potential Day 3: If a large program desires a second public performance and additional workshops, HSR can add a third day with late afternoon dress rehearsal (if needed) and repeat of evening performance from Day Two.

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General Requirements (a specific technical rider will be provided):

• A professional grade venue. 

• Proper venue crew support (Production Manager, Lighting Designer, Audio Head, load in crew). The PM/LD/AH can be a single auditorium or facilities manager. Students may be used for load in crew.

• Up to three hotel rooms may be required with one to three nights of accommodation. AirBnB, VRBO, or organization family home stays with three separate beds are also acceptable.

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Music:

• Music charts have been edited in advance and include accurate bowings and other rehearsal marks to aide in teaching. 

• Reference recordings are available for most of the charts.

• Music charts chosen for performance by the presenting ensemble with Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road will be agreed to and distributed at least three months prior to the performance date. 

• Music charts are the sole property of Kyle Dillingham, LLC, and will be shared electronically as .pdf files in a Google Drive shared folder. It is the responsibility of the presenting body to make photocopies available to teachers and students in advance of the workshops and rehearsals.

 

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Finances:

• Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road will provide a contract with the presenting body that stipulates the following guarantees for the three-piece ensemble in the following increments:

  • 1-day workshop(s) and one concert: $6,000 USD

  • 2-day workshop(s) and one concert: $8,000 USD

  • 3-day or more workshop(s) and concert(s): contact for proposal

• In addition to the above listed guarantees, Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road will receive 25% of remaining revenues generated from all revenue sources, excluding concessions, school merchandise, and/or the raffle of the donated Glasser equipment. 

• Lodging, travel, on-site meal costs, and a daily $50.00 USD per diem (total) will be in addition to the above guarantee(s). 

• Where the presenting body does not have a representing entity able to enter into a contract, Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road will be happy to discuss alternative arrangements.

• Revenue may be generated by sponsorships, grants, admission ticket sales, and special event t-shirt sales for the evening performance(s). A sample sponsorship package will be provided. Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road will retain all revenue generated from CD sales.

• Horseshoe Road appears on several granting agency rosters in the Midwest United States and may be able to assist a presenting body with securing a grant.

• Tickets will be priced accordingly after discussions with the local partners.

 

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Communication:

• Regular communication will be established between Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road and the presenting body throughout the entire process. 

• Once a contract is executed, Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road will designate a single point contact for the program to administer and address all issues relating to the engagement.