Colloquium XXIV: June 30 - July 6, 2014!
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    Saturday afternoon
    at the CMAA members meeting,
    Director of Programs Arlene Oost-Zinner announced
    that the next Sacred Music Colloquium will be held
    from June 30 to July 6
    in the year of our Lord 2014
    (yes, including July 4 for Americans
    and July 1 for Canadians)
    at St John the Evangelist Church
    in the place
    where the midwest and the south and the east all meet,
    the place where men and women drive in circles to the cheers of millions,
    in the city of Indianapolis.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    This is great news for me. I'm fairly certain that I'll be there next year since I can get to Indianapolis in two and a half hours. That'll really cut the travel costs for me.
  • OlbashOlbash
    Posts: 314
    AGO National in Boston June 23-27, followed by en masse road trip to Indy. Sounds like a plan.
  • Hooray! Welcome to Indy, everyone.

    I have had the hardest time keeping my mouth shut about this.
    Thanked by 1BruceL
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    YESSS!!! I may be able to go..... I'm so excited. I think I hear a carpool coming on...
    Thanked by 1Hilary Cesare
  • Ally
    Posts: 227
    YAY!!!
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,327
    Midwest! My prayers have been answered! Looking forward to it!
    Thanked by 2Ben ScottKChicago
  • PaixGioiaAmorPaixGioiaAmor
    Posts: 1,473
    Good, I'll plan on coming.

    But the place where east meets west and north meets south is really Kansas City - the easternmost western city and the westernmost eastern city, where battles of the civil war were sought and the south held forth, but the city itself was part of the north ...

    It's the city of identity crises ...
  • But Indy is also known as the "Crossroads of America."

    Fun fact: it's called the Circle City because of the circle around the monument at the city center, not because of circular auto racing.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    I described it as above because Joel Garreau does the same in his book "The Nine Nations of North America": his regions "Dixie", the "Breadbasket", and the "Rustbelt" meet there.
    Thanked by 1Andrew Motyka
  • redsox1
    Posts: 217
    Easy trip from Detroit, plus my inlaws are down in Columbus. I was DM at St. John and was married there. What a stunning church. Looking forward to it!
    Thanked by 2chonak Paul F. Ford
  • elaine60elaine60
    Posts: 85
    Awesome! I'm in Evansville, IN so if I can get the time from work I WILL be there. Fantastic!! Can't wait.
    Thanked by 1Hilary Cesare
  • Beautiful church in the hotel and convention center district and right next to the nice, revitalized downtown area. Organists: Indy has a number of superb instruments. An organ crawl would be quite worthwhile.
  • Chris AllenChris Allen
    Posts: 150
    Is this going to be the pattern, then, staying with one venue for a couple of years then going somewhere else? If we could just find a suitable place in California....
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    I did suggest Alcatraz, Chris. Great acoustics and cells for on-site monastic ambiance.
    CMAA leadership has undoubtedly realized that Eastern to Midwestern demographics guarantee at least break even econ.
    The year NPM did Long Beach was a disaster for them on all fronts. We in CA. must decide TSA or nothing.
    Unless, of course, CMAA charters a jet from CA (my daughter's in that business, wink wink.)
    Thanked by 1Chris Allen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    I think a lot of folks would like to attend a colloquium in Cali, Charles, but could church musicians afford the lodging? The hotel in SLC was $72/day (minimum). Is it possible to get a deal in CA to match or beat that figure?
  • Ruth Lapeyre
    Posts: 341
    This is wonderful I might be able to go!!! Indy is only 5 hours away.
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,206
    This is indeed good news. I can think of a number of folk who will be able to attend. Let's pack the place!
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,983
    it is driving distance, which is good.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Don't worry, RC, Wendy's intrigued by the notion of Indy. It is a very good convention city. Alcatraz, not so much.
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    YAY!!!! This is actually possible for me. WOOT!!!!
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,198
    Moi aussi. Just down the road in Elizabethtown KY.
  • My folks live an hour outside town, so family vacation and liturgical leisure all wrapped in one! AWESOME!!!
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    The hotels are great. But Andrew, is there a park where CMAA Occupy Indy folks can set up their pup tents? I'd like to cut down on lodging as there're great malls downtown to shop at.
    Thanked by 1Chris Allen
  • There are plenty of parks, if you want to try to sleep there on Independence Day weekend.

    I'm not sure what hotel was settled on for the Colloquium. Most are very walkable to St. John's.

    And the mall.
  • Chris AllenChris Allen
    Posts: 150
    This hotel appears to be the closest to the church, and at a reasonable rate, to boot.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    The front page says "Rooms from $129". I couldn't get the booking thing to load properly, but if that price is per night, I'd have to differ on the reasonable rate part.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    Also, the week of our event is blocked off in their calendar as "unavailable".
  • There are several hotels near the church: it's the convention center and sports arena area.
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    Can we get a group rate? I hate to say it, but for me, $129 per night is expensive. Add to this that I have to fly there. I may have to plan for 2015 Colloquium instead.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    My friends... have none of you heard of Priceline? In cities like Indianapolis you can bid on hotels and get rooms for under $50 per night. If you don't mind not staying in "the official" hotel, you can get rooms very cheap. If you split a $50 room with someone else it would be around $25-30 per person (after taxes).
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    I don't care about whether it is the official hotel or not. And yes, I've never heard of priceline, but $50 per night is my kind of bargain. :)
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    The key is to do the "name your own price" thing, select the area closest to the church where the Colloquium events will be held and then bid low. Likely you'll have to adjust your bid and sometimes you have to wait 48 hours before bidding again (if you don't want to drop your star rating or expand your area). However for people who are extremely cheap (like me), it can lead to GREAT savings.
  • I don't know if the "official hotel" is public knowledge yet, or if CMAA has made a final decision on what it even is yet, but I know it's not the Canterbury anyway.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    MJM has clearly been to the same monastery as the cute chick from Big Bang Theory. I'm kinda jealous.

    Of the monastic experience, of course.
  • PaixGioiaAmorPaixGioiaAmor
    Posts: 1,473
    Name your own price, then wait for William Shatner to do your fighting for you ...
    Thanked by 1expeditus1
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    My wife is a scientist, so sometimes life feels like that show.
  • Someday... all y'all will realize that San Diego is the truly ideal place for a Colloqium. The Immaculata, USD, the Mission Basilica, the beach, the weather....
    But Indy is fine with me. ;)
    Thanked by 1Chris Allen
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    And the Old Town Inn, of glorious, happy, ineffable memory. Hand made corn tortillas, eh Mary Jane?
  • Chris AllenChris Allen
    Posts: 150
    TCJ: It's reasonable compared to the other hotels in the area....
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    TCJ: It's reasonable compared to the other hotels in the area....


    In my case, I could just drive back home every night and save money!
    Thanked by 1Chris Allen
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    Got any spare rooms? :-)
  • G
    Posts: 1,401
    "Saturday afternoon
    at the CMAA members meeting,"

    Are the minutes posted anywhere? I like to live vicariously...

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,218
    Minutes? They're read out by the secretary at the next year's meeting. You'll be there for that, right?
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    Got any spare rooms? :-)


    You could stay in mine for $79/night. Meanwhile, I think I found a nice place to stay for $35/night.
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    And where may that be, TCJ? :)