Volunteer at the Festival

The Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival is organized entirely by volunteers, and we depend on community involvement to run the event in a smooth fashion.

If you would like to volunteer at the Festival, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Read on for a sample of what we do, followed by instructions on how to sign up.

Volunteers have a variety of responsibilities:

  • Transportation
    • Drive artists, volunteers, and equipment between the hotel and the venue.
    • Artist pick up / drop off at the airport
    • Transporting Festival goods and supplies
  • Food Service
    • Transporting and serving food to artists, volunteers, and attendees
    • Collecting donations for meals
  • Stage Management
    • Assist sound engineer and stage manager turn over stage between concerts, help with microphones, lighting, and recording setup
    • Providing coffee, tea, and water backstage
  • General Assistance
    • Manage lines and participation order during individual singing
    • Manage music competition sessions

There are a variety of other opportunities that come up during the event where volunteers step in and lend a hand. If you are available, you can probably find something to do.

Benefits to Volunteering

Besides bragging rights, as a volunteer you get to …

  • add valuable volunteer hours to your résumé and/or college application (if you put in enough work, we'll even give you a letter attesting to your efforts).
  • work with an incredible group of people who are passionate about the Festival, and fun to hang out with.
  • peek behind-the-scenes at what it takes to run an event of this magnitude, and take home lessons for similar festivals in your town.
  • Free food on the days you volunteer.

How to Sign Up

If you would like to volunteer at the Festival, please e-mail our volunteer co-ordinator Shankar Sundaram (shankar@aradhana.org) with the following details:

  1. Name
  2. Cellular phone number
  3. What days/time will you be available to volunteer?
  4. Do you have a valid driver's license that you can use to drive in Ohio?
  5. Will you have a car available while you are at the Festival?
  6. What languages do you speak/understand? (Some of our visitors do not speak English)
  7. Are there any specific skills that you would like to offer to us?

If you have any questions about volunteering, please do not hesitate to ask Shankar (shankar@aradhana.org).