Francesca LaRosa MUSE 376 / Choral Music Methods II Citation Chapter 6: Managing the Choral Program Directing the Choral Music Program Kenneth H. Phillips 2004 Summary: I. Managing the Choral Program a) Choral music is expensive, as are choir folders, risers, and music stands. II. Budgetary Procedures a) Robert Garretson s three-step approach 1) A list is made of essential items (octavo music, music folders, music filing supplies, etc.) 2) It is good to provide a reminder on the budget of how many choirs and students will be serviced. 3) Set up a budget in two categories: one for operating expenses and one for nonrecurring expenses. A. Requisitioning Materials a) The school is under no obligation to pay any bill for any item ordered by a teacher without proper approval. b) When ordering anything, accurate catalog item numbers are important. c) For ordering octavo music, title, composer or arranger, publisher, octavo number, voicing, the number of copies needed, and the method of shipment should be included in the request. d) After items have been received and checked by the choral director for accuracy and damage, a copy of the shipment order and requisition needs to be signed and returned to the proper school office for approval and payment. Teachers should be timely in returning this paperwork, as companies often apply penalties when bills are not paid on time. e) Many schools have an activity fund where income is placed from fund-raising. B. Keeping Records a) The choral director should keep records of all expenditures approved during the school year. A spreadsheet may be set up in accordance with the sections and items of the budget, and approved budgetary amounts entered for each line item. b) When an expenditure is made, the cost should be deducted from the balance once the bill has been approved. c) Shipping and handling charges are unknown until a shipment has been received, and these costs are part of the total bill. BY keeping a running balance for each line of the budget the teacher will know how much remains to be spent. d) Choral directors often keep records of money raised by student fund-raising activities.
e) A third use of the ledger or computer program is to keep a record of the activity fund, both for income and expenditures. f) It is good if the choral director does not have to handle any money from fundraising or concert ticket sales. III. Music Supplies, Equipment, and Concert Attire a) When purchasing music supplies and equipment, it is better if the purchases can be made through a local music business. A. Music Supplies a) National music dealer s are large-scale operations with outlets in a number of areas of the country. They carry a large stock of choral music of all publishers and produce a catalog of music often by season, voicing, and difficulty. b) Music publishers will send catalogs of publications upon request. B. Music Equipment a) Some companies do not carry choral music but supply music equipment, instruments, filing supplies, and so forth. b) MENC has produced guidelines for music equipment for music rooms at all levels. See list on page 94. c) One other piece of equipment that may be needed in a choral program is an acoustical shell. A shell is used to help project the sound of the chorus in the performance area. d) Chairs for choral rooms should be of the type that foster good singing posture. e) Special consideration should be given to having a good piano in the choral room. f) The Music Industry Conference, a nonprofit organization of publishers and manufactures that supply music-related products, publishes a guide that offers suggestions. C. Concert Attire a) Choral groups traditionally have worn some type of concert attire. b) A uniform look does not need to cost a lot, and unless the school is providing the attire, cost will be a factor for some students. c) Schools usually provide choir robes at the secondary level, and this traditional look is a good one. d) Choir robes are purchased through the revenues of student fund-raising in many schools. However, funding for choir robes should come directly through the school music budget. e) When considering more formal attire, cost is an important factor. Local clothing stores often are willing to rent tuxedos at a reduced rate to choir members, and a number of wholesalers sell or rent tuxedos at low prices. f) If students are responsible for their own formal attire, some type of arrangement needs to be made for those students who are financially unable to meet this obligation. g) Dress shoes are sometimes a problem for students. h) The maintenance of all concert attire is important. Strict checkout procedures should be in place so students may be identified and contacted when attired is not returned.
IV. The Choral Music Library a) Every effort should be made to maintain the choral library in an orderly and organized manner so that music can be found, retrieved, and stored efficiently. Appointing a student librarian will aid greatly in this process, and computer database programs have made the cataloging of music easier and more efficient. A. Music Storage a) Each box or envelope should be labeled with the file number, title and composer of the composition and voicing. b) Filing boxes are best stored on shelving units where the maximum number of shelves are spaced per unit. c) How the boxes or envelopes are arranged for storage is critical to how easily the choral library is managed. d) The best way to organize music is to assign it the next number in the order of its purchase and to place it in the drawer or on the shelf in numerical order. B. Music Identification a) All new music should be stamped with two identifying codes: the school property stamp and the file identification number. b) Every student receives a numbered music folder registered in his or her name. All music that goes into the folder has the same number written on it. c) When music is not returned to the choral library, the person responsible for the loss can be identified and charged with the cost of music replacement. Students need to know from the first day of choir that the music in their folders is on loan, and a fee in the amount of value will be assessed for unreturned or damaged music. C. Master Files a) It is most helpful if one piece of music from every cataloged selection is located in the music office as a conductor s file. The file may be arranged by sections according to voicing. D. Music Folders a) Sturdy choir folders are needed to protect music. All folders need expandable pockets on the inside to hold quantities of music. b) A suitable a less expensive alternative to a ready-made choir folder is the threering notebook with inside pockets. c) One type of folder on the commercial market has a handle strap attached for ease of holding. d) No matter what type of music folder is used, every folder should be identified with the person s name to whom it is assigned; additional identification such as school name or choir also is helpful. E. Copyright Law a) It is against federal law to photocopy music for performance purposes. b) It is against the law and fines of at least $250 per copy are payable by the person who does the copying, not the school district or choral organization. c) Publications with a copyright date of 1907 or earlier are listed as public domain
V. Rewards to Stimulate Pride and Motivation A. Choral Recordings a) Many school choirs now make CDs and use them as a source of fund-raising. b) Pride in a choral organization is greatly enhanced when there is a CD or cassette representing the group. c) There is another cost involved in the mass production of a recording- the royalty fee. A royalty must be paid to the publisher for each work recorded. d) Your first step should be a letter to the copyright owner before you record and request a license to record the work. B. Group Photographs a) An annual choir picture hung in the choir gallery is a positive way to increase pride in the choral program. C. The Rehearsal Room Bulletin Board a) The bulletin board in the choir room makes an excellent place for displaying newspaper articles about the choir and its members. b) Thank-you notes and letters to the choir also can be displayed on the bulletin board. c) A positive note from the school principal, parent, or member of the community makes students feel that their hard work is appreciated. D. Student Awards a) The awarding of pins, keys, or letters to deserving students has a long tradition in choral programs. Some type of point system is usually established, and students earn points for participation in various groups, concert attendance, special rehearsals, singing a solo, serving as group leaders, officers, and so forth. The music booster group is a good source of funding for such an award program. b) Many schools have end-of-the-year awards ceremonies for graduating seniors. The top male and female vocalists often are acknowledged with some type of gift or plaque. A point system is needed to make the outcomes perfectly objective. E. T-Shirts a) Choir T-shirts, using a choir logo or some musical expression, have become a popular and rather inexpensive way to build group spirit and pride. F. Social Events a) Many high school choral programs include various social events for students as a type of reward for their active participation. b) End-of-the-year awards banquets, after-musical parties, bowling and skating parties, and other mixers are ways in which students can socialize and feel good about being part of a successful choral organization. c) Providing students with rewards is highly motivating and says thanks for working so hard to make choral music great in our school. It takes time to develop and manage such incentives, but it is all part of being a grateful choral director.
Discussion: Question 5: What are some basic equipment needs for the choral room? In order for a music program to be successful, the choir room needs to be filled with some basic equipment in order to best help students become the best musicians they can be. Some of these items include a high-quality sound system, a CD-ROM compatible computer with MIDI equipment, music library file cabinets or shelving, and high-quality acoustic piano that is tuned at least three times a year. Other items include a set of portable choral risers, chairs designed for the best choral posture, and a conductor s stand, podium, and optional music stands for students. Some choir teachers find an acoustical shell to be helpful. A shell is used to help project the sound of the chorus in the performance area. Choir teachers will definitely benefit from having a choral library with file cabinets to organize music for the choral program. Choral music in and of itself is expensive, especially when it comes to paying the publisher, paying for the number of copies used, and paying for royalty fees. However, there are so many other items that are necessary in order for a choral program to be successful. Choir directors must be responsible with the money being used for the choral program and let the administrators know about every purchase that is made. Taking the effort to handle finances and purchase essential items for the program will help a music program to be successful. Choir directors have a lot of responsibilities with finances and in helping students to be musically educated, but each effort made by the choir director should be for the benefit of the students and for the choir program in order to help the program flourish.