organizationalstrategies
Where to Start?: Organizational Strategies
How to get organized and get the ball rolling.
The first thing you need is to come up with a plan.
1. Recruitment:
You need warm bodies, preferably ones that sing. How do you get people to come? Bribery, treats and childcare are all helpful. Advertise-- make sure people know the time and location and that they are welcome, even if they are a beginner singer. Talk it up, bring treats, invite people whenever you see them and be persistent. If you need it, ask for assistance with recruitment from the ward music chair or bishopric. But the very best thing you can do for recruitment is to make choir rehearsals fun.
2. Be Family Friendly:
One of the big challenges with ward choir is getting families with children to sing. If you have a ward with a lot of young families, try to arrange some kind of childcare or make kids welcome at rehearsals. Choir rehearsals can be held at someone's home where children can play during the rehearsal. Another option is to organize volunteers from the Young Women to take turns watching kids in the nursery during choir (this would be a great Personal Progress project). I have seen a ward where someone brings a portable DVD player for the kids to watch Sunday-appropriate movies during choir. Be creative. Invite older primary children and Young Men/Young Women to participate in the choir. I have actually tried --quite successfully-- advertising for choir in Primary ("Do any of you have parents who sing? Have them come to choir and you can play while they sing and have treats afterward. You can sing too if you would like."). Kids have excellent memories and can be very effective at reminding parents, especially if they think choir is a fun place for them to go.
3. Find Music and Schedule Performances:
What will you sing and when? Pull out a calendar and write down dates and song titles. There is nothing like a deadline to make things happen. I like to aim to sing twice a month, but you can start with once a month. But do start... start by choosing a date-- setting a goal-- and working to be ready to sing on that day. Plan ahead a few performances. This helps with ordering music, being prepared and giving your accompanist time to practice the music. Remember, it doesn't have to be difficult and elaborate every time you sing-- even a simple hymn can add to the spirit of the meeting. But do SING, and sing often.
4. Pre-Rehearsal Preparation Time:
Make sure you have preparation time set aside so you can be ready BEFORE the rehearsal. You don't need to spend hours. But do make sure you take some time to be sure you are familiar with the piece, know each part, you have conducted through it and you know what you want to do in the rehearsal.
5. Get Help:
You can call choir officers to assist you. Here is the article from the church's website about choir officers. http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6780-1,00.html