Alison McNamara ’19

The Handel and Haydn Society, Boston, MA

This summer, I interned in the marketing department at the Handel and Haydn Society, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering Baroque and Classical music to audiences in the greater Boston area. The Handel and Haydn Society is the oldest continually run orchestra dedicated to delivering relevant music to Boston, starting in 1815. Named after two renowned composers, the society was dedicated to combining old music, like Handel’s, with more contemporary artists such as Haydn. I worked with Sally Bradford ’80, who is currently the Vice President of the marketing department at H+H and who is a fellow Williams alum. As an intern, I had the opportunity to work with many different fields within the non-profit world, such as marketing, development, education, and finance and administration. I worked on many projects throughout the summer within these different departments. One project I was responsible for was negotiating trade agreements with other non-profit music organizations around the Boston area in program advertisements. As a non-profit, the Handel and Haydn Society relies heavily on trading advertisements with similar organizations, rather than paying for these advertisements out of pocket. I corresponded with 21 different non-profit organizations via email and phone calls to establish these trade agreements throughout the 2018-2019 season. As a part of this project, I had the opportunity to write up these trade agreements and invoices and send them to the respective organization. Through this project, I learned to negotiate respectfully, but firmly. Often, organizations would ask for an agreement that put the Handel and Haydn Society at a disadvantage, either asking for too much space in H+H’s program books, or asking to be advertised in too many for what they could offer in return. H+H negotiates these agreements based on audience circulation numbers: the Handel and Haydn Society reaches 40,000 Classical and Baroque music fans. Many organizations could not compete with these numbers, and I had to learn to correspond in a cordial and friendly manner, while also being firm so that H+H had a fair trade with these organizations.

Alison and Williams Alumna Sally Bradford ‘80 at the Handel and Haydn Society.
Alison and Williams Alumna Sally Bradford ‘80 at the Handel and Haydn Society.

Another major project I worked on this summer was given to me by the CEO and President of H+H, David Snead. Following a meeting focusing on numbers of first time attendees per concert season between the fiscal years FY11-FY18, Mr. Snead asked me if I could track first time attendee behavior throughout these years on a concert-to-concert basis. Using the data Amanda LePain, Director of Audience Services, had compiled from Tessitura, and pulling additional data from the CRM system Tessitura, I was able to compile a report that tracked customer migration from each concert within the years 2010-2018, breaking this data down into three main categories: absolute number of first time attendees, subscription conversion rates following each concert, and retention rates for each concert. These numbers illuminated which concerts are most successful with attracting first time attendees, which concerts encourage most first time attendees to subscribe to H+H, and which concerts retain the most first time attendees (meaning they return for another concert within the same season). This project sharpened my data analysis skills, and made me proficient in working in Excel and Tessitura to lay out the data in a concise and clear manner. After compiling this data, I presented it to the marketing team, including both Sally Bradford and David Snead. Through this presentation, I learned to present my data in a professional, eloquent, and concise manner, and how to deliver this information confidently. Another exciting project I worked on this summer was drafting acknowledgement letters to donors of the 2018 annual fund. Drafting these letters taught me the importance of using a certain language when addressing donors, and the importance of writing different templates based on which donor I was addressing. I drafted three letters: one for first-time donors, one for renewed donors, and one for yearly donors. The language surrounding each letter was important, and I had to be aware of whom I was addressing in each letter. This project sparked my interest in development and fundraising. I enjoyed researching what projects the annual fund funded, gathering quotes from students of the Vocal Arts Program on their experience within this program, and learning to thank donors for their contributions. Other projects I worked on throughout the summer included researching information for blog topics and writing up blog reports, researching how to grow younger audience cohorts and compiling reports from students around the Boston area, and researching SEO keywords to use on H+H’s website.

Alison on the boat cruise with Williams Alumna Sally Bradford ‘80.
Alison on the boat cruise with Williams Alumna Sally Bradford ‘80.

Working at the Handel and Haydn Society this past summer gave me important insight into the non-profit world. The employees at the Handel and Haydn Society are remarkably friendly, hardworking, and passionate for the mission behind the organization: delivering Classical and Baroque music to the greater Boston area. Many of the employees either play music themselves, or are entirely immersed in and dedicated to providing this music to the world. This passion drives the organization, allowing each employee to work together for a greater purpose. I made important connections with my coworkers at H+H, and gained insight into the non-profit world and what careers it has to offer. One day this summer, all the staff and interns at H+H went sailing in the Boston Bay after work. We got to enjoy the beautiful summer weather along the Boston Bay. In August, the Handel and Haydn Society put on a performance in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. For the first time, I heard a few of the musicians perform on period instruments, which the performers use to more closely replicate music the way it sounded in the time it was written. It was truly a wonderful and exciting experience, and helped me to understand the passion behind the organization.

Although I worked on the administrative side of H+H, working so closely with Classical and Baroque music renewed my appreciation for music. I used to play piano in high school, specifically focusing on Classical and Baroque music, and working at H+H this summer made me reminisce on my time as a pianist. I learned about important fields within the non-profit world, like development, marketing, education, and finance. I thoroughly enjoyed the work I did with the development team at H+H, and intend to search further for careers within development and fundraising after my graduation from Williams. I made important connections with the people I was working, and gained valuable insight into their separate career paths, and what brought them to work at the Handel and Haydn Society. Each person had very interesting and unique career paths that brought them to work in non-profit. The Handel and Haydn Society works not only to deliver music to audiences, but to provide music education to children in the greater Boston area through their Vocal Arts Program. VAP provides vocal training and opportunities to perform to children ages 8-18 within the Boston area.

The 2018 Handel and Haydn Society all staff boat cruise.
The 2018 Handel and Haydn Society all staff boat cruise.

I would personally like to thank Mr. Robert K. Kraft P86, P89, Mr. Jonathan A. Kraft ’86, and Mr. Joshua M. Kraft ’89 for providing me with this exciting opportunity to work in the marketing department at the Handel and Haydn Society. Because of the Kraft Family, I was provided with the opportunity to learn more about marketing within the non-profit world, and gained invaluable experience that will help me as I go on to pick my career outside of Williams. I made valuable connections with employees in the Boston area, and worked alongside Williams alum like Sally Bradford ’80. My experience interning at the Handel and Haydn Society illuminated different career paths I could pursue outside of Williams, and provided me with an invaluable experience within non-profit, gaining insight into the marketing and business world.