News from Britt Hill – July 2023

Britt is well underway, and there’s lots of updates on the hill! We’re composting our food waste this year, and at the end of the season all that compost will be used to fertilize our gardens and lawn. We have amazing food trucks to complement our longtime concessions vendor, and Nothing Bundt Cakes is joining us with delicious desserts. We’ve also installed several water fountains with bottle refilling stations. I’m so proud of these updates!

But the thing I want to highlight today: this month, we’re debuting a world-class assistive listening system!

For folks who have a hearing disability or loss, or for those of us who’d like to hear the clearest possible sound, Britt will be completing the installation of our Listen Technologies system in July. People can take advantage of this through their Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, or by downloading the Listen EVERYWHERE app (in the Apple app store or Google Play, and also linked from the Britt website). Unlike many assistive listening options, which simply amplify all the sound in the area near the listener, this system sends a signal straight out of the sound booth to the app. That means you’re getting the same experience as the audio technician that travels with the band! It’s incredible technology, and we’re really proud of having it this year.

This project was funded by a grant from the Britt Society, the separate group that provides volunteer and financial support to Britt Music & Arts Festival. The Britt Society funded not only the assisted listening system, but also the paved pathway connecting the turnaround at First and Fir to the front patio of the pavilion, and the complete renovation of the Rajneesh bathrooms about halfway up the hill! These were enormous projects that were led by our operations team, but they wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of the Britt Society.

All of that, of course, is a reminder that Britt exists thanks to the generosity of our community. Yes, ticket sales are enormously important to us, but those sales alone don’t begin to cover our many programs, including operating the park 365 days per year, undertaking facilities projects, or providing admission-free arts education programs year-round in Jackson and Josephine counties. We apply for grants, hold fundraising events, and gratefully accept gifts from individual donors. If you love what Britt is doing, I hope you’ll reach out to learn more.

But for now, I hope you’ll join us on the hill for one of our many remaining concerts, and maybe check out the Listen system. With so much of the season left to come, it’s a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the sound of music of many flavors, and I look forward to seeing you!

All best, Abby

Featured image: An Evening with Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band, June 2023 – Photo by Jay & Sue Newman