How can you provide valuable performance experience to your choir while serving your community and enriching the local arts scene? It’s simple! Get your students off campus and dazzling audiences of all ages more often. Connecting your choral group to the greater community is a win in several ways: it increases exposure for your program and grows your brand, it helps your students refine performance skills, and provides first-rate entertainment to civic and non-profit groups.

So how can you find the right opportunities to allow your choir shine around town?

 

• Consider the calendar. Think about which portion of the year will be most feasible for your students to showcase performance material for outside audiences. It’s probably not in the first weeks of school when new songs are still being learned, and it may not be in the height of competition season. But somewhere in between is a sweet spot where they know the numbers well enough to perform, yet aren’t pressed by competition travel. Look for dates in that range for the best opportunities.

 

• Holiday extravaganzas. Many municipalities and civic groups hold holiday events at which choral entertainment would be welcomed with open arms! Check with your local government to see who coordinates these events (think community tree lighting ceremonies or events promoting local holiday commerce), and let them know that your choir is available to help out. Ditto for holiday charity fundraisers. (Dress the part! Give your choir apparel some festive flair with a seasonal accessory.)

 

• Reach the next generation. How do you ensure you’ll have enthusiastic students auditioning for your group for years to come? Reach out to elementary and middle schools, and offer to perform for their students. You’ll broaden the horizons of the younger students and cultivate a love of choral performance in some that may last a lifetime.

 

• Honor the elder generation. Senior centers and retirement communities are among the most grateful recipients of entertainment by young people. Seniors benefit tremendously from the stimulation of bright young faces and the excitement of the cultural arts. Since activities coordinators for senior centers seek to fill the calendar with engaging experiences for their residents, they can offer flexibility with scheduling and find a time that meets your choir’s needs.

 

• Festivals and special events. Does your region host a signature festival or other special event? These are great opportunities to showcase your group to fresh audiences. County fairs, agricultural festivals, and culinary festivals all present opportunities to let your choir shine while helping the festival committee spice up the programming on a limited budget.

 

By connecting your choir to the community, you can give your students enriching performance experiences while improving the cultural quality life for your friends and neighbors. Everybody wins!