MLMF Faculty Staff & Interns: Saturday Windy City Concert Schedule, Assignments & Lodging Information

Subject: MLMF Staff & Interns: Saturday Windy City Concert Schedule, Assignments & Lodging Information
Team,
​Thank you all for your help with the Windy City concert on Saturday. Please review the schedule, assignments, and lodging information below. I will send the rooming list as a separate attachment.

Friday, July 24
Elk Lake Lodge Open (see rooming list and check in procedures  below)
Elk Lake Lodge
2330 A Perry Rd
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

Saturday, July 25
Windy City Concert Staff Meeting Saturday, 5:00 PM
Springs Resort Stage Area - pavilion behind the new Main Lodge at the Springs Resort
323 Hot Springs Blvd,,Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
5:00 PM

• Volunteer/staff meeting at the ticket tables outside the Springs Resort stage area.

Staff Assignments
Prepaid Ticket Line - Logan Thurman & Judith Olivas
Responsibilities:

1. Download the Eventbrite Organizer app on iOS or Android.
2. Log in with your email address I used to invite you through Eventbrite - check your email.
3. Open the event.
4. Use the app to:
   • Scan QR codes
   • Check in attendees manually
   • View attendance data in real time 

• Scan prepaid tickets using the Eventbrite app on your phones
• Distribute wristbands
• Provide drink tickets to VIP guests
• Give every guest an MLMF information postcard

Walk-Up Ticket Sales - Rayvon Allen & Steve Wilson
Responsibilities:

• Sell tickets using my Square account (iPad and phone will be provided)
• Accept credit card payments using the Square reader or Tap-to-Pay
• Distribute wristbands (Green - general admission, Pink -VIP)
• Provide drink vouchers to VIP guests
• Give every guest an MLMF information postcard

Event Support & Guest Assistance - Steve Wilson (when not assisting ticket sales), Tim Cagle, Marcos O., John Rothchild
Responsibilities:

• Parking attendant in the gravel lot behind the stage, as people pull into the drive, organize rows, at 7:30PM watch the back gate  - Tim Cagle
• Answer guest questions
• Provide general event support
• Monitor portable restrooms throughout the event 
• Ensure restrooms remain stocked and clean
• Stay aware of any issues and help with operational decisions as needed

Media Coverage - John Whitaker
Responsibilities:

• Full event photography and video coverage
• Drone footage (as appropriate and permitted)
• Short interviews and promotional content for future MLMF marketing

6:00 PM

• Volunteers and MLMF faculty/staff and interns in place (see assignments below)
• Doors open
• Bar opens
• Silent auction sign-up begins at the Windy City t-shirt table

7:00 PM

• Concert begins 
• BP festival welcome, acknowledge principal sponsors, Katie Von Kral intro, silent auction items
  • Nuwave Lending and Jerry Johnson
  • Springs Resort and Mary Cocke (Group Sales and Event Manager)
  • Riff Raff Brewing and Jason and Shelly Cox
  • Liberty Theatre
  • Elk Lake Lodge and Ron Kormos
  • Pagosa Board of Tourism 
  • Dr. John and Mary Rothchild 
  • John Williams 
  • June Russel
• Katie Von Kral speed painting begins

9:00 PM
Silent Auction begins

• Hard stop for the Windy City concert

9:30 PM

• Strike and load-out:
  • Ticket tables
  • Legacy artwork display
  • Starlink system
  • MLMF music stands
  • Bluetti battery
  • Two pop-up canopies

All equipment should be loaded into my truck, which will be parked nearby.
10:00 PM

• Depart for Elk Lake Lodge

Elk Lake Lodge
2330 A Perry Rd
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

Elk Lake Lodge Check In
Elk Lake Lodge Information - Available Friday and Saturday Night
(We move to Mountain Light Lodge on Sunday.)
Access Information - Lodge Door Code: 2330
Forest Road Gate Code: 3678
Note: There may be a locked gate across the forest road. Use the gate code above if necessary.

Lodge Information:
The lodge is a three-story building built into the hillside. The second floor serves as the ground-level entrance and contains the main living area and large kitchen. Lodge contains a commercial kitchen with breakfast and lunch items that you are welcome to use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Please:

• Clean up after yourselves
• Wash dishes and leave common areas tidy
• Be considerate of other MLMF leaders staying at the lodge Friday and Saturday night

Communication cell service can be limited in this area.

• Use the lodge Wi-Fi whenever possible
• Wi-Fi should connect without a password
• Wi-Fi will be the most reliable method of communication while at the lodge

Sunday, July 26
Brad White arrives in DRT at 11:20 - Logan Thurman picks up Brad White
11:00 AM - Whitaker, Phillips  - Grocery Run
11:00 AM - Tim and Marcos  head to Mountain Light Lodge 

• sheets, fridge empty, bathrooms clean
• check for drinking water, plastic cups and dinner ware, plastic utensils, trash, coffee, TP,  - text BP what we need ASAP.

Room assignments FOR ELK LAKE LODGE are below. 
Room assignments for Mountain Light Lodge are TBA.
3:00 PM - Subway pick up 1 - Whitaker and BP escort Nolan White and Adam Almeter
4:00 PM -  driving up - Jon Kirchem, Jackson Parker, Rayvon Allen
5:00 PM - Subway pick up 2 -  someone from the 4PM group coordinate with Matt Williamson arrival
5:30 PM - dinner prep (BP, Wilson, White)
6:00 PM - quartet rehearsals (deck, chapel, rock fire-pit, Wilderness Cabin, "Practice cabin" near the RV area.
7:00 PM - Dinner
8:30 PM - orientation (fireplace)
9:00 PM  - dessert

Monday July 27 - see master schedule for the rest of the week

mlmf_master_schedule_2026_2.0.pdf
File Size:	388 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Liability waiver and insurance card upload

 July 1st update!
Getting close! Thank you for completing the survey! All of your bios and headshots are uploaded. Mary Phillips will be reaching out to each of you via email asking for a short video element. We will be doing social media posts on each of you. Be on the lookout. 

Please like and share all MLMF FB and IG posts to your personal pages. This will help us in many ways. 

Support:
As you are aware, we do not charge tuition for our fellows to participate. All revenue for MLMF is generated through private donors, sponsorships, and ticket sales. It would mean a great deal to me if you would consider posting something to this effect on your social media pages:

"I can't wait to be a part of the MLMF Trombone Summit this summer in Pagosa Springs Colorado. I will be participating as a fellow in master classes, rehearsals, concerts at the Liberty Theatre and working alongside amazing friends, and great faculty.  Funding for fellows do not pay tuition and are sponsored through private donations. Please consider making a donation in my name to the MLMF. Thank you!"
Include this link in your posts:
https://www.mountainlightmusicfestival.com/store/p43/MLMFcharitablecontribution.html

Last year's schedule is posted below, we will change some things, adding in more quartet coaching, more or less fishing, new meals, with similar performances at Riff Raff, Liberty Theatre, Mountain Light Lodge, and an open rehearsal at the Pagosa Springs sculpture gardens. 

From Dr. Whitaker:
There will be 5-7 minutes of music from each quartet.  I would like for each group to start a thread to discuss some pieces you would like to read.  On the first night of the festival while dinner is being prepared….there will be time for the quartets to find a place to read a piece or two to get the process started.  These quartet pieces can be anything you like….standard rep, jazz, pop…anything.  Audience appeal is a good thing!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Quartet 1
Phillips
Whitaker
White, B.
Wilson, bass

Quartet 2
Williamson
White, N.
Thurman
Allen, bass

Quartet 3
​Almeter
Kirchem
Olivas
Parker, bass

​Rooming list will be available soon.

Repertoire folder

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Personnel 2026:
Adam Almeter
Jonathan Kirchem
Jackson Parker
Nolan White
Matt Williamson
Logan Thurman
Rayvon Allen - bass
Judith Olivas

Faculty:
Brent Phillips - Professor of Trombone - University of Houston
John Whitaker - Professor of Trombone - University of Illinois 
Steve Wilson - Professor of Trombone - University of Texas El Paso
Brad White - Associate Principal Trombone - Houston Symphony

Staff:
Chet Russell - Explorer/VOW founder
Tim Cagle - guide
Marcos Omelanczuk - guide
John Williams - MLMF Board president and Windy City bone player
John Rothchild - MLMF board
Jenelle Syverson - MLMF volunteer

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What to bring:

• Towel for use during the week
• Hiking shoes or sturdy tennis shoes
• Rain jacket, fleece
• Flashlight or headlamp. 
• Music, mutes and instruments - bring you iPad if you like​ but have a backup. I will not have parts for you!
• Any other personal items, games, books, no TV or internet. We will make frequent trips into town. There is a landline. If you need to get email Monday or Tuesday, we can drive down the mountain to a special spot that gets a great signal.. Let me know. 
• Hat
• Swimsuit for the Hot Springs
• Water bottle - drink as much as you possibly can all day
• Bug spray - flies and mosquitos are troublesome at times. 
• Journal with pen and paper​
• You may download a printable checklist here but this is for extended backcountry trips. 

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Climate and what to wear:

• We will be at 9,400 feet so it will be pleasant and cool in the evenings
• Bring a rain jacket or poncho for a possible day hike
• We provide day packs for day hikes
• Shorts and t-shirts during the day and jeans at night​, you will need a fleece every night by 5PM

Concert Dress:

• Wednesday at Riff Raff Brewing - nice solid T, avoid graphics, jeans or chinos 
• Thursday at Liberty Theatre - black pants, colorful long sleeve shirt with collar, not white or black (faculty will wear black if desired).
• Friday at Mountain Light Lodge - jeans and colorful polo for photo opp. 

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Voice of Wilderness Trip Registration and Medical

VOW is the non profit parent organization that hosts the Mountain Light Music Festival. The MLMF is part of the "Partnership Series" hosted by VOW. There are two more steps in addition to the above application:
Complete VOW registration process​

• ​Registration form - trip price is free.
• Please complete the medical release form - this is absolutely necessary for us to run day trips and operate in the San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness areas. Required by the US Forest Service and for us to maintain official guide service status through Voice of Wilderness 
• Trip Preparation and VOW checklist

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Rep link

Thursday Liberty Theatre program order:
SSB
Sharpe
Gabrieli
Cogent
Hex Files
America the Beautiful
Armed Forces
Strauss 2001
Bach T&F
Barber
Godfather
Movie Magic
Rains Castamere
Star Trek 2009
Imperial March
Yoda
Throne Room

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Directions to the Lodge

​Mountain Light Lodge:  970-264-2961 
Brent Phillips: 254-644-7605


When to arrive:
​

• We will meet you at the Subway sandwich shop in Pagosa on Sunday at 3 and 5 PM.
• The lodge is a 20 minute drive from the Subway deli downtown at the corner of Main Street and North 5th. The gate combination code is 3030

From Subway Sandwich to the Lodge