novEMBER 2010

nuçi’s space396 Oconee StreetAthens, GA 30601706.227.1515space@nuci.orgwww.nuci.org

Newsletter Contributors

Bob SleppyWill KiserLaura FordMatt HudginsMatthew Mendez

Photos

Courtney McGoughJim Walsh

Design & Layout

Larry Tenner

the newsletter for Nuçi’s Space, a nonprofit musicians’ support/resource center

A Great Place to Practice by bob Sleppy

I’m writing this just a few minutes after read-ing Linda’s “Annual Giving Letter.” If you haven’t already seen it, it’s included in this mailing. Having read all of these letters since

1999, I would have to say that this year is one of my favorites. One line in particular, near the bot-tom of the first page, stands out to me. It reads, “It is most impressive how the slightest kindness can have such a powerful impact on the receiver.”

Over the past decade we have struggled with the task of trying to “package” Nuçi’s Space for various grant applications, corporate giving pro-grams and potential donors. Without the benefit of walking someone through the doors of our building and sharing the “feel” of Nuçi’s Space, this task can sometimes feel impossible. How do you write about kindness? How do you convey sincerity or empathy in 250 words or less? We can share our statistics, demographics and pro-jections but those things only tell a very small part of our story. I’m a 38-year-old, Caucasian male. I’m 6 feet tall and weigh 235 lb. but does that information really tell you anything about me or who I am? Well, besides the fact I should be on a diet?

Nuçi’s Space is successful because of its sim-plicity. Kindness is simple. We try to ingrain in our staff and volunteers the practice of “waiting around for the answer” when we greet someone with “Hello, how are you?” Sometimes the pace of our lives can reach such a fever-pitch that our backs are turned and we’re moving in the oppo-site direction before someone has time to say “I’m good, thanks. How are you?” By “waiting for the answer,” we are showing a genuine concern and

interest in each other. Just as you, our donors, have invested in Nuçi’s Space, we are motivated to invest in everyone who walks through our door. Do we always succeed in this mission? Unfortunately, no, but our resolve is intact.

One of the most difficult things to do is to extend kindness to someone that does not recip-rocate. I wouldn’t say that such an occurrence is common at Nuçi’s Space but it does happen every once and a while. Sometimes my gut reaction is to become defensive. I think to myself, “Well, screw you then.” However, I try to remember that Nuçi’s Space is bigger than me, bigger than any one of us. I forget that life exists outside the confines of our little building. If the reaction we receive from someone is less than kind, we try to extend to them the benefit of the doubt that their intention is not ill-willed. Unfortunately most of us carry with us the burden of our lives through-out our day. Often times the fallout from our common frustrations and stresses is misdirected. With embarrassment, I admit that I know this all too well.

I would like to think that Nuçi’s Space provides us with a perfect place to practice mindfulness—a perfect place to extend “the slightest kindness” that may jar someone to realize, “hey, maybe not everyone is against me?” Like Linda, I too am impressed with the power of a simple smile, thoughtful gesture or a “hello, how are you?”

As I’ve said before in this column, Nuçi’s Space is much more than just a great rehearsal space. For me, it continues to be a great practice space as well.

On October 1st, along with hundreds of guests, the staff and board of directors at Nuçi’s Space celebrated the beginning of our tenth year of existence.

Extensive renovations had the Space looking brand-new, with a new color scheme inside the

main area, along with an updated wall of black and gold vinyl records that now include name plates honoring some of our biggest supporters. The four rehearsal rooms also wore a fresh coat of paint, new carpet as well as re-covered and refur-bished sound baffling. The hallways around the rehearsal rooms were lined with photographs of our building from over the years, highlighted by quotations from some of the almost 800 clients we’ve helped since opening in 2000.

As usual, the party and all of its provisions were all supplied by people, restaurants and com-panies who’ve always been there for Nuçi’s Space over the past decade.

Food was provided by East-West Bistro, The Last Resort, Mama’s Boy, The National and Marti’s At Midday. Leigh Ellen Watts-Magness

(cakemeaway.com) created a five-cake desert that spelled out nuçi’s and took an entire table to hold. Rinne Allen provided the flowers again this year and beer was supplied by Yuengling and Terrapin Beer Co.

Some of the live music was provided by Peter Alvanos, Shauna Greeson and Claire Campbell–all Camp Amped instructors. Dan Nettles, a Nuçi’s Space staff member and Lead Instructor of Camp Amped Youth Programs, joined Jim White onstage at the beginning

of the night. Rounding out the lineup was Marisa Mustard, a former Camp Amped participant, and Sursievision.

Founder Linda Phillips took the stage to thank everyone for their support about halfway through the night, surrounded by supporters, family and friends… behind her were ten years of chal-lenges, work and progress. Here’s to many more decades of growth.

Nuçi PhillipsMemorial Foundation

Board of Directors

President: Stephanie Sharp

Vice President: Matt Justus

Treasurer: Robert L. Bachman, CPA

Secretary: Rebecca Hood

Linda V. PhillipsPierre PhillipsPatterson HoodDr. Bill OrrSally SpeedBenjamin Roberts IIIEllie MacKnightDavid BarbeK.P. DevlinNikki Boatwright

Executive Director

Bob Sleppy

Legal Counsel

Mike LavenderJim Warnes

Recent DonoRsAdvanced Massage TherapiesBerg, KristenCasey, Noleen & JohnCook, AutumnDree & Co.Ellenberg, Virginia & RichardGlass, Thomas & AnnieGore, EmilyHale, Sanders & LenoirHill, JanetteHinsch, Steve & HollisKaplan, JackKiser, EmmaLee, EugeneLester, DavidLichtman, Dr. & Mrs. JeffreyMcDuff, Nancy & David Harvey

Nanartowicz, ErikaNorton, JimOneworld Language SolutionsOrdonez, Dr. & Mrs. CarlosPerez, Dr. & Mrs. A.R.R.E.M./ Athens, LLCRaque, David & Susan Lynn Todd

Redmond, CourtneyRobbins, Jay & Mary AnnRoberts, DonRPMSharma, SunilSkelton, Josh & Emily ChellSleppy, JanetTeague, AmyThe GritTSAVVenuso, Connie

Wachovia FoundationWells Fargo BankWeinstein, NoamWillingham, C MichaelWright, James & LindaYo, RheaZankel, Ken & Anna

In Memory of April BachtelBurch, CharlesCarson, Jr., RobertDavis, C.L.Goldcamp, Robert & CaroleKlein, Thomas & SaraMorris, Van & Libby MorrisPaul, DorothyPaul, SusanUngers Shoe Store, Inc.

In Memory of Vic ChesnuttJohn Bunnell

In Memory of Jonathan DaltonKim Coggins

In Memory of Danny EspositoCarol Downs

In Memory of Peter McKennaFriends of the McKenna Family

In Memory of Nuçi PhillipsMr. & Mrs. David Barbe

In Memory of Israel TyreeLeslie Tyree

10th Anniversary Party by Will KiSer

7th Annual S.P.A.C.E. Race 5KWith nearly 300 total registrants, the 7th

annual Nuçi’s Space Suicide Prevention, Awareness, and Community Education Race was another successful iteration of the annual fund-raising event.

On the overcast Saturday morning of October 2nd, over 200 runners gathered in front of Memorial Hall on the University of Georgia’s campus to compete in the 5K and show their support for the mission and programs of Nuçi’s Space. Though rang-ing in age from 5 to 70, all runners battled against the same clock and the challeng-ing, hilly terrain of the UGA campus.

Eric Loffland, 36, of Athens, took the top male and overall prizes with a time of 17 minutes and 56.3 seconds, while the top female finisher was Rhia Kilpatrick, 32, of Athens, with a time of 21 minutes, 21.8 seconds. A full report of the race results appears on nuçi.org.

Nuçi’s Space has hosted the S.P.A.C.E. Race on UGA’s campus every October for seven con-secutive years. The event serves as a fundraiser for Nuçi’s Space, as it brings in money from

race registration fees, participant fundraising, and the sponsorship of local businesses, but it is more than that. The S.P.A.C.E. Race also allows Nuçi’s Space to make its presence felt in the local

and campus communities, and to raise aware-ness about the programs and services of the space, especially among those outside the music community who might not have heard of us otherwise.

Nuçi’s Space would like to express its gratitude to all the runners, sponsors, and vol-unteers who make the S.P.A.C.E. Race a successful annual event. We’ll see you next year!

2010 S.P.A.C.E. Sponsors: Beat the Bookstore, Chick-fil-A, Earth Fare, Off-Campus Bookstore, Hendershot’s Cafe, Ingles, Justin Evans Photography, Marco’s Pizza,

New Balance, The Odyssey Studio, Play it Again Sports, RubySue Graphics, Sweetpeppers Deli, UGA Health Center, U-Haul, Wendy’s, ZoomWorks, Flagpole

nuçi’s spaceStaff

Bob SleppyWill KiserLaura FordMatt HudginsDan NettlesChris ByronPaul Prae

Interns

Matthew MendezNicole Holubar

High School Intern

Marisa Mustard

Active Volunteers

Adrienne SchwartzmanAlex BlankenshipAmanda BennettAndrea LivingstonAnna FergusonBonnie ShortCaidlin ElderedChris SaucierChrismon HinschChristopher BaileyCindy KrafftDeb GimsonDylan MobleyEllen SingletaryJared EtheridgeJiahui LiuJonathan McMichaelKathryn HigginsKatie ParkerLesley CobbsLindsey EpperlyMiranda SeagravesMorgan RuedlingerNancy MilliganNancy WallNatalie WerveRenee WetliTeresa Groover

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House Show At Nuçi’s Spaceby Matt HudginS

One of my favorite things when I first moved to Athens 11 years ago was attending house shows. Something about see-ing six bands and 20 of their friends crammed in a kitchen singing through a thrift store guitar amp just felt secret and, well, cool. Trouble was, half the time the police showed up and shut the party down, and the tenants of the rare house with no noise-sensitive neighbors generally soon tired of the constant sticky floors and garbage-strewn yards that come with hosting such events. Which is why on Friday, December 3 Nuçi’s Space would like to invite you to our house for what we hope will be the first of many “House Shows at Nuçi’s.” Rotating between our main stage and two of our rehearsal rooms, 10 local bands will bombard your ears with a constant stream of awesomeness, and you’ll even be able to hear the vocals! Bands confirmed for this show include: Vincas, Dave Marr, American Cheeseburger, Second Suns, The Agenda, All City Cannonballers, Grinnin’ Bear, Something More Memorable, So It Goes and Tribal Rivals. So mark your cal-endar for December 3rd and come check out a full night of killer tunes at Nuçi’s Space, because you’re still not too old (or young) to party.

Upcoming Events at Nuçi’s Space

NovemberSunday, 14th: CAAS Fall 2010 Grand Finale Show @

Melting Point

DecemberFriday, 3rd: “House Party” Show @ Nuçi’s Space

JanuarySaturday, 15th: Official Drive-By Truckers Pre-Party

and Auction@ Nuçi’s SpaceSaturday, 15th: Nuci’s Space Benefit Night @ the

40 Watt Club—Drive-By Truckers w/ David Barbe and the Quick Hooks and The Camp Amped Band (featuring musicians from Nuçi’s Space’s Camp Amped Program)

For more details, visit www.nuci.org.

CoURT SAyS NUçI’S SPACE qUALIfIES foR PRoPERTy

TAx ExEMPTIoN!After a 3-year court battle with the ACC Tax Assessor’s

Office and our County Attorney, Nuci’s Space can finally exhale. On November 8, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Nuçi’s Space is, in fact, exempt from Athens-Clarke County property taxes. This is an important ruling not only for Nuçi’s Space, but for nonprofits all over Georgia. We’d like to thank everyone who supported us throughout this ordeal, especially our wonderful attorney Jim Warnes of Timmons, Warnes & Anderson Attorneys at Law.