Carnegie Hall’s Susan Brady is at it again…
I am absolutely infuriated right now at an email I have received tonight from Susan Brady, Carnegie Hall’s Director of Development. Now I will cut and paste this letter on here so you can read what I have just read, the sentences highlighted in bold, were done so by Susan, not myself. Underneath her email is my take on it all.
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Dear Dia,
My name is Susan Brady, and I’m the Director of Development at Carnegie Hall.
I’m writing because a very important deadline is approaching: Carnegie Hall’s fiscal year ends on June 30. The major decisions that face this organization–decisions affecting our world-class musical programming, educational services that inspire thousands of students, and needed renovations to the Hall itself–will depend on what happens in these next four weeks.
Our Executive and Artistic Director, Clive Gillinson, recorded a brief video where he talks about where we stand–and about why Carnegie Hall means so much to everyone in the world who appreciates the best in music.
I know that you’ve enjoyed music at the Hall before, but if you’re like many of our supporters, you may never stop to think about what it means to the cultural life of this country–or what it takes to keep it up and running.
Please watch the video, then consider making a $50 donation to support Carnegie Hall:
I know how much this recession has affected all of our lives, and that we’re not the first organization to tell you that times are tough.
But times like these are also an opportunity to focus on what matters most–and I believe that music is indispensable to our lives.
As Clive says in the video, just because Carnegie Hall has been around for 118 years doesn’t mean it’ll be around forever. The support of people like you is instrumental to the success of this organization–past, present, and future.
You’ve experienced the power of Carnegie Hall–you’ve attended performances here, but you’ve never taken the next step by supporting this institution with a charitable donation.
Thank you so much for considering our request. Please watch Clive’s video and learn more about making a donation:
All the best,
Susan
Susan Brady
Director of Development
Carnegie Hall
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Let me tell you why she keeps emailing me. I went to see a Deborah Voigt recital back in 2004. I had just had my eleventh brain surgery. Some friends of mine helped me pay for a box ticket because they knew how badly I wanted to see her perform. I had a rough year, and this was the first night I was spending outside of the medical world, outside of all of the drama…it was the first night I had to focus on something other than my brain troubles.
Ever since that night this woman Susan Brady has been hounding me with emails and phone calls. When I was living in New York, I would get a call once a week begging me for money. I tried to explain, that although I sat in a posh seat, I WASN’T POSH. Geez. I had medical bills coming out of my ass, and they thought I could afford to support Carnegie Hall? They were as vicious as Bill Collectors for student loans. They never let up until I moved.
So, her harsh words in the above email that talk about an obligated “next step of charitable donation”…to that I say, WHAT? Are you serious? The ticket prices are high, no one gets in for free. Carnegie Hall is not a non profit organization that depends solely on donations, they make an enormous profit! Why are we meant to take this next step out of obligation? I don’t understand. I do know that these are desperate times for everyone. In addition to that, music is the most important thing in my life, without it I would have dropped dead a long time ago, I have never denied the power of music in my life, but I will not sit back and be bullied into paying that “50 dollars” just because Carnegie is going under. Never have I once received a thank you for my ticket purchases, never once an apology for the tremendous amount of phone calls and emails in the past which demanded money. Why on earth would I respond to one of the most ignorant emails I have yet to receive, with a 50 dollar donation?
Come on! Be nice, and maybe people who have that kind of money will respond, but continue the hounding, and people will turn the other way.
