“The Guild” has emerged as the most exciting organization in Canyon Lake.
Over the past three years, The Guild has transformed into a remarkable resource of musical talent with rock, country and swing music, featuring tribute artists such as the Beatles, Elton John, Willie Nelson and Frank Sinatra. Maybe the best gauge as to how we are serving our community is the consistency of participation at our events.
Our performers have now played to full house audiences in the Lodge the past three years. Our VIP Reserved section has already sold out for our entire 2019 season, which doesn’t even start for another four months. At this time, we are diligently working to support that increased demand. For now, it seems our concert attendance is limited only by the size of the Holiday Bay Room. So, we must be doing something right.
None of this has happened by accident. We have a passion for music, a passion for our community and a program to support that energy. It was once said, “Music is to the soul, what words are to the mind.” We wholeheartedly believe music makes our community a better place to live and are leading the charge to support that assessment. Specifically:
We survey our audience annually for the performers they want to see and hear rather than solely relying on what we, as a Board, want to put on the stage.
Their request has been to transform almost exclusively to popular tribute acts that satisfy a wider demographic and larger segment of our community.
We now announce a full season of events, with tickets to all events available to purchase at the time of the announcement.
We created multiple levels of membership with respective benefits and discounts.
To better inform the community, we have created and maintain our own website, our own page, conduct social media blitzes, exploit online ticket sales, upload concert clips to YouTube and publish regular Friday Flyer articles.
For consistency, our prices are the same for each event. As a point of reference, concerts sponsored by the POA differ each event and are priced 30-50% higher.
We offer season tickets to those desiring the same seat all year, reserved seating for those wanting a specific seat for the events they choose and affordable general admission tickets so anyone can attend at a reasonable price.
We introduced a dance floor in the back of the room to allow some guests to better express themselves with minimal disruption.
In addition to seven (7) Board Members, we added seven (7) Associates. Our staff of fourteen (14) volunteers is prepared to welcome and serve our guests.
At no extra charge to members, The Guild hosts a reception prior to each concert that consists of food, wine, beer, cookies, music and an introduction to the performer. Our membership has more than doubled over the past two years and the receptions downstairs are now at full capacity, using all three rooms.
Although other music events at the Lodge require as many as eight security personnel, The Guild uses only two and has never had a single incident (17 yrs).
We suspect The Guild is the only club that offers a full dinner with live music and dancing for over 100 members in the Holiday Bay Room for our Annual Meeting, at no additional charge to the members.
The Guild initiated the Amphitheater proposal at Holiday Harbor Park and donated $25,000 to the POA towards the project. Representing the very best of Canyon Lake, it will become one of the most iconic venues in the Inland Empire.
The Guild collaborated with two other clubs to provide a free Summer Concert at Holiday Harbor Park that attracted almost 1,000 Canyon Lakers. With the new Amphitheater, The Guild will sponsor two (2) free concerts this summer as yet another way of giving back to the community.
The Guild has funded and is implementing a scholarship program for high school music majors residing in Canyon Lake.
The Guild is now leading a project to upgrade the Sound and Lighting in the Holiday Bay Room. At least one other club and one local business has agreed to contribute to our efforts that will benefit the POA Concerts, Guild Concerts, Choraleers, Theater Group, Woman’s Club and any other group using the Lodge.
The Guild is a seriously action-oriented club honoring its clear Mission Statement: The Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild provides enjoyable music to our community, as well as complimentary programs that promote quality entertainment.
With so much activity, The Guild does not actively seek donations, advertisements or contributions of any kind. We are financially self-sufficient solely by our guests attending our high quality, reasonably priced events at whichever level they choose. However, we routinely receive volunteer requests from those excited to help our program succeed.
Our current status did not happen all at once and none of it was easy. The foundation of the club was formed in 2001 with Canyon Lake icons, such as Mavis and Dr. Marlowe Schaffner, Ken and Dorothy Cable, Carol Vaughan, Dr. Vick Knight and Art Zasio, to name a few. We are thrilled to continue in their tradition of service to this community.
It is truly an honor and a privilege to make this organization better every year. In the movie “A Star is Born,” a character explains: “Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave, twelve notes, and the octave repeats. It's the same story, told over and over, forever. All any artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes, that's it.”
The Guild is uniquely delivering those twelve notes in a way that resonates with Canyon Lake. We are bringing the groups they want to hear, charging a fair price, treating them well and offering related services that promote music in our community. Our goal everyday is to make life more harmonious in our little bit of paradise. Thank you!
A “Little Bit of History” Regarding The Birth of The Guild~
The Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild traces its beginnings to a clear and crisp January evening in 2001, the Woman’s Club sponsored an event to raise money for a baby grand piano, now in the Holiday Bay Room. The audience, dressed in gowns, jewelry, furs and tuxedos, enjoyed classical music performed by the Inland Valley Symphony. Club President Mavis Schaffner was so inspired by the receptive audience she proposed the formalization of what became The Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild. The past years have featured a wide range of musical offerings; evolving from classical and opera to Broadway, jazz, swing, country and rock. From a spring and fall concert, the Guild now includes five concert events per year.
The Guild has been and continues to be a team effort. Many community members deserve credit for its creation and success. Along with Mavis and Marlo Schaffner, there were Art Zasio, Ken and Dorothy Cable, Dr. Vick Knight, Audrey Barrows, Carol Vaughn and Shirley Beauttas. There have been dozens of others who contributed their time, energy and creative talents to this program. With changing demographics of our community, music styles change and The Guild will continue to evolve accordingly. Therefore, we seek your continued input and support for this program. The Guild intends to continue delivering quality music at an affordable price to help Canyon Lake remain a little bit of paradise.
Current Board Members
Ron Martel (President), Larry Garland (Operations), Jim Lafferty (Membership), Corrie Tutt (Publicity), Bonnie Dubbs (Social Activities), Shari Skidmore (Secretary) and Rhonda Pilto (Treasurer).
