Band and Chorus:
Important Email Change, Please Take Note!

I am writing to inform you of an imminent change to how North Andover Music Association (NAMA) will send out email communications to NAHS Music students and parents:

As of November 28, NAMA will no longer send direct-email updates or communications from NAHS Music Department or NAMA to students or parents, except in very rare emergency situations as determined by NAHS teachers and NAMA. Instead, NAMA will exclusively post updates to the website, which will automatically feed to Facebook, Twitter, and NAMA website subscriber email.

Therefore, we ask that each Music student and parent who wishes to receive NAHS Music email updates (Week at a Glance, last minute schedule changes, order forms, music – sheet, audio and video, upcoming events, fundraising and volunteer opportunities, etc.) please subscribe individually to the NAMA website according to these instructions:

1. Go the bottom right of the NAMA Home Page (www.northandovermusic.org)
2. Click the red “Signup” button under Get Email Updates
3. Provide your name and email address
4. Click “Subscribe”
5. Look for an email at the address you listed directing you to follow the link to complete the subscription process – THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL!
6. Unsure whether you are already subscribed? After Step 4 you will be alerted if there is already a subscription under the email address you entered.

The reasons for this change are cost and inefficiency. Right now, NAMA sends email two primary ways: 1) to everyone who is subscribed to the NAMA website, and 2) directly to a database of email addresses. We send the direct emails as a convenience because not everyone was subscribing to the website. Because of this, many of you receive duplicate emails (via the website and direct), which is very inefficient. Furthermore, as NAMA has grown, the number of email recipients has increased, and we are now exceeding the free email limit from our email provider. It will start costing NAMA a steep monthly fee to continue sending this large volume of direct emails. However, there is no extra charge for NAMA to send emails via the website.

Please note: NAMA handles all personal information confidentially. Email and mailing addresses are only used for providing information from NAHS Music Department or NAMA, and are never shared outside NAHS or NAMA. Any student or parent who does not wish to subscribe to the website may opt out; however, they must frequently check the website, Facebook, and/or Twitter to avoid missing important information, as they will no longer receive NAMA email notifications without subscribing.

Thank you for your patience as we sort through these issues in our efforts to keep everyone informed and up to date on the activities of the North Andover Public Schools Music programs. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email at martinpmcgrath@msn.com.

Best regards,

Martin McGrath
President, North Andover Music Association