Donor Spotlight: Andrew Teie
This month we sat down with TWC Trustee and Donor, Andrew Teie, to discuss his philanthropy with TWC!
Q: What was your “meet cute” with TWC?
A: I went to the Christmas concert several years ago to see my friend, Sam, who sings in the chorus. It blew me away — the spirit, the musicality, the sense of community. People of all ages and backgrounds came together around the power of choral music, and I knew this was just the beginning of my relationship with The Washington Chorus.
Q: What makes contributing to TWC rewarding for you? Why do you give to us, both with your time and your funding?
A: It helps me feel like I’m giving back to the music community or DC that helped shape me as a child. With two professional classical musicians as parents, I want to help grow music in this area. And TWC gives me that chance, alongside working with a brilliant and thoughtful set of people who want to spread the impact of high-level choral performance to more and more people in our region.
Q: How have you seen TWC build and engage the community?
A: I’ve seen the footprint of TWC expand to younger audiences — both the youngest of us, the children who sing at and attend many of the chorus’s performances, but also the young adults in the DC area who are beginning to see how powerful TWC’s singing can be.
Q: What do you wish everyone knew about TWC?
A: That there’s a community of hundreds of singers, volunteers and staff who make an ongoing commitment to bring the joy of choral music to our area — and they are an extraordinary group of talented, hardworking “music makers” who maximize the resources our supporters help provide in order to continually bring the DC area the musical experiences that touch our hearts and bring us together.
Q: What would you tell someone who is considering donating to TWC?
A: A donation to The Washington Chorus not only supports the awe-inspiring performances put on by the chorus and its partners -- but also helps fuel the growth of our footprint, expanding the community of people in the DC area who are positively impacted by the tangible and emotional power of choral music.
Q: What's your favorite TWC moment?
A: The roar of applause that follows an unforgettable TWC performance -- those special moments when the community has a chance to come together loudly and proudly in celebration, praise, and thanks to the musicians and team that give us the choral music we cherish.
We are so grateful to Andrew for his support and for sitting down to share his story! If you are interested in participating in future donor interviews, please send a note to our Communications Manager, Jennie Weyman.
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About Andrew:
Andrew Teie is the VP of Brand Strategy & Customer Experience at Yes&. He has over 15 years of experience overseeing marketing teams and leading brand, digital, communications, and customer experience strategies in New York City and DC. His focus at Yes& is on helping brands connect with their audiences -- both rationally and emotionally -- across the many touchpoints of a customer journey, leading the strategic direction for several association, government, nonprofit, and commercial clients.
Previously, he led branding and donor experience teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that set digital fundraising records. He launched the most successful Kickstarter project in DC history (Music for Cats). And during his tenure at Ogilvy & Mather and Anomaly, he worked across industries and with a variety of clients including Nestle, Pfizer, Coca-Cola, UPS, Marriott, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Diageo.
He grew up as a classically trained pianist, attends concerts in D.C. as much as he possibly can, and can be found singing 90s songs whenever and wherever karaoke is taking place.