Upper Valley Music Center Launches New Logo
When it comes to making music, it’s sometimes necessary to invent something totally new while building on the respected traditions of the past. That’s exactly what the Upper Valley Music Center (UVMC) is doing when it unveils its brand-new logo on July 15th.
The new logo takes inspiration from the musical repeat sign, the two dots calling up images of students at weekly lessons, their dedication to ongoing practice, and the musical traditions that they study and perform. The shape of a house conveys UVMC’s role as a vibrant home for music education, providing a gathering place that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to make music.
The revamped design comes on the heels of UVMC’s 2017 move into a much-loved historic property on Colburn Park in Lebanon, New Hampshire, providing students and faculty with many more opportunities to explore the world of music than before: from time-honored classical traditions to folk, jazz, and musical theatre. In the 2018-2019 season, more than 1,000 community members participated in private and group lessons, ensembles, and informal get-togethers to play and sing their hearts out.
With this major shift, UVMC’s Board of Directors recognized the need to better tell the music center’s story, and Deecie Denison, former President of UVMC, helped initiate a logo design project. “I am so thrilled with how many ways people are making music at UVMC, and the world needs to know about it!” says Denison.
UVMC was selected to participate in the prestigious annual student design program at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City, which is overseen by the world renowned brand identity firm Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv. Under the leadership of Sagi Haviv, the SVA students developed logo and identity designs that reflected UVMC’s energy, enthusiasm, and diverse array of music education offerings. Laura Bowling of Pure Dakota Design assisted UVMC throughout the process. “We wanted a unique, timeless design, that would communicate the multi-faceted nature of music making at UVMC, as well as our strong community spirit,” said Executive Director Ben Van Vliet.
In October, UVMC directors traveled to CGH’s offices in New York and presented UVMC’s story to the design students. Through slides and recordings, the students got to know UVMC students and faculty. Then they got a taste of learning music themselves. “We taught them how to sing and drum to a simple song because we wanted them to feel music education from the inside and then to bring that feeling to their designs,” said Van Vliet.
At the end of the semester, each student presented a final design. “The quality of all of the designs was remarkable. Everything we saw had something special about it,” said Van Vliet, “but ultimately- and luckily– choosing the winning logo was a unanimous decision!”
“We are enormously grateful to CGH, Laura Bowling, and all of the School of Visual Arts students, especially the winning designer Melissa Akkoc,” said Denison.
In conjunction with the new brand identity, the Upper Valley Music Center has redesigned its website to better reflect the breadth of the organization. The new website, along with the new logo, will launch on July 15, just in time to celebrate the 25th year of the organization.
“We’re so delighted with the new design and the energy and life the logo conveys,” remarked Lindsay Dearborn, UVMC Board President. “It’s more than just a new image on our letterhead: it provides a window into the Upper Valley Music Center.”
About the Upper Valley Music Center
The Upper Valley Music Center is a non-profit community music school based in Lebanon, NH, serving more than 1,000 students a year from across the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. UVMC’s expert faculty work with beginning through advanced students and teach programs designed for ages birth through adulthood. Founded in 1995, UVMC’s programs have expanded to include early childhood music, Suzuki and traditional lessons on a variety of instruments, group classes, and ensemble opportunities. UVMC hosts more than 50 performances by students, faculty, and guest artists throughout the year, offers music camps during the summer, and sponsors the Upper Valley Chamber Orchestra and the Juneberry Community Chorus. For more information about UVMC visit www.uvmusic.org or call (603) 448-1642. www.uvmusic.org
About Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv is the brand design firm behind many of the world’s most recognizable trademarks. Since 1957, the firm has pioneered the modern movement of idea-driven graphic design across every discipline, specializing in brand identities, exhibitions, print and motion graphics, and art in architecture. The firm has a global reach, with projects in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East as well as throughout the United States. It is led by its founding partner, designer Tom Geismar, partner and designer Sagi Haviv, and principal designers Mackey Saturday and Melanie McElduff. Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv is known for a collaborative, problem-solving approach to design, with personal involvement by all principals in every project and continuous attention to the details and nuances of projects as they evolve. https://www.cghnyc.com/
About School of Visual Arts
About Laura Bowling
Laura Bowling is a branding, design, and sustainability executive who has led strategic marketing and global communications for some of the world’s most prestigious brands and nonprofit organizations. For nearly three decades she has inspired interdisciplinary creative teams to deliver award winning marketing ideas, campaigns, and events across all media platforms.
Over the past decade she has become a global sustainability leader focused on raising public awareness and support for marine conservation, climate change, and the importance of protecting nature for the benefit of humanity.
Her consulting business, Pure Dakota Design, LLC, is based in Carmel, California. https://www.puredakotadesignllc.com/