Alright, so you have gone to your bishop, asked for the choir to be organized by priesthood assignment and that didn’t work out. You have given at least half a thousand personal invitations and haven’t seen much response. Now what?

To Nag or Not to Nag

That is the question. If nothing else works, I heavily lean towards nagging. You, after all, are trying your hardest to magnify this calling rather than just flap your arms while people pretend to follow along! I use every opportunity I can find to put in a good nag. The first line of defense I like to use is to go ask the bishopric to make announcements about choir from the pulpit while conducting the ward business. When this fails to bring anyone new to choir, I ask to make the announcement myself. I usually say something about how talented the ward is and how the upcoming number will be a wonderful opportunity to bear testimony of the Savior and help others feel the Spirit.

Next, when the bishopric member says, “Are there any other announcements?” at the beginning of priesthood meeting, I raise my hand – even when I’m not the ward choir director and clearly state that we need more male voices in the choir and any support would be appreciated. It usually works into guilting a few brothers to come. Is it ideal? No, but is it necessary? Usually. I also make announcements in Relief Society, Primary and in the Young Women if possible. Which brings up another really important issue: Who are you looking for?

I really enjoy a diverse ward choir so when I make those announcements in the auxiliary groups, I am not just asking the leaders of those auxiliaries but also the senior primary kids, the young women, the young men, whoever will come! Try not to be exclusive with your choir membership and you will have much more success. HINT, HINT:This can also apply when you go ask your Bishop for choir members. YM/YW need service hours. This would certainly apply. It is an “easy peasy” way to get bishopric support.

Clear and Concise Expectations

Okay, so after all that foot work you have a reasonably good sized choir. WHEW! Good work! Now the trick is keeping them. That’s right, all that recruitment might not do a darn bit of good unless you can prove to them that their time is precious to you. The number one way to do this is to have clear and concise expectations in place LONG before the first rehearsal. Know what your goals are, what you want them to learn, how you want the music to sound, a practiced accompanist, and once those goals are met, YOU SEND THEM HOME. Never go over the time allotted. I don’t care how much more work it still needs, if you go over time, you will lose people… FAST.

Do not waste time on fluffy spiritual thoughts; just get right to the music. Speaking of being concise, I’ve reached my 500 word self-imposed limit. I will discuss rehearsal techniques, schedules, and how to deal with Bro. and Sis. Musicknowall in later posts. Until then, happy flapping! Oh, and don't under estimate the value of a nice pile of homemade cookies at the end of a clear and concise rehearsal. They can work wonders on attendance.

So, you've been called to be the Choir Director. Your bishop said something like "If there is anything we can do to help, let us know." Right before he shook your hand and sent you out the door wondering how or where to start. Does this sound somewhat familiar? Being the Ward Choir Director can be very rewarding and fulfilling - even for those that don't feel like they know enough about music to fill the shoes. The secret? Being the Choir Director may not be nearly as "musical" as you think. In fact, it is much like getting a youth to mutual, a child to sing in primary, or even the dreaded "get them to go home teaching" scenario. Here are a few non-musical suggestions on how to be a better Director.

Priesthood Assignments

Remember how your bishop said, "If there is anything that we can do to help, let us know."? Well, this is it. Wait, wait! Don't just go in there and demand he MAKE people come to your rehearsals. We need to be smart about this. Go in with a plan. Your conversation could go something like this:

"Hi, Bishop. Thanks for taking the time to see me. Can we make some priesthood assignments for people to come to ward choir?"

(Hesitation.)

"What I was thinking is that we could call 16 people (adjust to your needs) to serve in the ward choir as an assignment from the bishopric. We don't want to exclude anyone so anyone would always be welcome to come but that way we have a core group that I can work with so we can really have the spirit in our meetings through music."

(More hesitation.)

"I was also thinking that maybe we could limit the time that they serve in that assignment to say... I don't know, three months, maybe six? Or we could just give them an assignment for a specific event like the Christmas program or Easter?"

"Ummm."

"I realize that you are busy, Bishop, and we all really appreciate what you do for our ward. I realize that this would mean extra phone calls for you or your counselors but I know that with the added support there will be an outpouring of the Spirit in our meetings. If you could make the initial calls, I can take it from there. I know that those that have sacrificed their time to be a part of the program will bring a Spirit that will carry into the music and, in turn, touch the members of the congregation. Ward Choir Guy told me so!"

Okay, so maybe we'd better leave out that last part. But, I have seen this work time and time again. The best attended choir rehearsals are those that are supported whole-heartedly by the bishopric. By the way, if that doesn't work, I would say that you request that a member of the bishopric attend the rehearsals. Which, either way, is helpful.

Personal Invitations

Many times when I have been called to a ward music position I make it a point to sit in different parts of the chapel and listen to those singing around me during the congregational hymns. When the meeting is over I also make it a point to compliment those who I thought sounded good (or even those who just sounded okay) and asked them personally to come to ward choir practice, explaining to them how much of an asset they could be to the ward (the Lord) by using their vocal resources for the Lord's work. Then, follow up with those invitations to let them know that you meant it.

Next time... Clear and Concise Expectations and Nag or Not to Nag.

I have been teaching piano off and on since I was in Junior High. One common thread throughout the years of teaching it is that of students coming to the lesson unprepared and unpracticed. I know I used to do this with some of my lessons, probably more than I would care to think about but it wasn't until recently that I realized how immeasurably frustrating this must have been for my poor teachers. I'd like to think that I was pretty good at faking my way through the lesson but now having sat on the other side of the piano, I think maybe that was just my imagination or ego getting the best of me.

As a parent of students of all sorts of activities - including piano lessons - I think there is an often unexpressed question that usually remains unanswered: Am I pushing my student if I make them practice? My answer is: It depends. For this post I will be focusing solely on piano lessons applications but I think that the information could certainly be applied from anything from baseball to chess.

Genuine Interest

If your student has shown a genuine interest in taking lessons, this is a giant step in the right direction. Right off the bat, if they show no interest in participating in taking piano lessons but you are making them do it anyway because "they will appreciate it later," Um, this is classic Pushing 101. On the flip side, if they can't wait to start lessons, then don't make them if you can at all help it. Get them in there while the fire is hot, then you can save your "pushing" for later when they need to clean their room.

Building "Sticktoitiveness"

I remember my Junior High days. I knew everything there was to know about playing the piano and so I somewhat resisted going to piano lessons and practicing because I didn't "need" them. My parents applied a bit of the push method that resulted in some genuine stick-to-it stock for my life. I am glad that they pushed me through it. However, if they would have tried that with something like soccer practice, it wouldn't have been pretty. Be forewarned that this tactic only lasts so long. If they don't resume some sort of natural interest, it may be in your child's best interest to try something else.

Involvement VS. Nagging

I find that the best piano student parents are the ones that ask me questions about what their students should be doing. I send my students home with a folder that has their practicing regiment very laid out including an approximate amount of time they should be spending per day, how many days per week they should be playing, what pieces they should be working on and any specific instructions directly related to the specific piece. The folder also includes my policies, resources, and pretty much anything else that the parent or student would need during normal practice time. If it can't be answered there, then I make myself available via phone, email, FB or plain ol' knock on the door and ask. On my side of things I have taken every possible precaution to eliminate the excuse of "I didn't know what to practice" so that the burden shifts to the student and their parents. However, students still come unprepared.

So here is my plea to any and all parents sending their children through piano lessons: Make sure you are involved. Make sure you know what they should be practicing, how long, any upcoming events and then make sure that they are sufficiently (but not overly) nagged about getting there and especially that they practice. Set up a rewards program for their practicing or something similar. I know it is annoying to have to ask them every day if they have practiced but you are paying good money to have them taught! They won't learn nearly anything unless they go home from the lesson and apply what has been presented. If they wait three days to crack open their piano books after lessons, you might as well have taken your $10 to $20 dollars that you paid that teacher (me) and thrown it to the fireplace for safe keeping. It wouldn't have wasted anyone's time and would have been just about as useful.

So in the end, I think that pushing equates to forcing kids to practice or do something that they were never interested in doing in the first place. Nagging them to practice should have been an anticipation when you signed up for lessons. Without a little parent encouragement (which can often feel like pushing) the desired education will be overlooked. Be encouraging, be supportive, nag just to the edge of annoying and then take half a step back, help yourself get the most out of your investment and leave your child's teacher with the maximum amount of hair. Thanks for suffering through my little rant. Now, happy practicing!

As a Ward Choir Director or Ward Music Chair you should be aware that most bishops will allow you a little bit of budget to purchase a piece or two. Most of the time you just have to ask and they will pinch some pennies to get you what you need. However, here are some procedural hints to help you get the most out of your music budget dollars.

1. Have a specific piece in mind.

Don't just go and ask your Bishop for money without a plan. You need to know what exactly you want to spend it on, i.e. "I need $10 to purchase 20 copies of WCG's O Come, O Come Emmanuel and $20 for treats to keep people coming to rehearsals." Have a specific goal in mind and you will have better luck with finding a helpful Bishop on your side. Above all, get the piece approved before you buy it! Let the Bishop listen to it or figure out a way to make sure that he feels good about it BEFORE you buy anything.

2. Utilize your Stake Music Chairperson

Before you buy anything, call your Stake Music Chairperson and ask them if the piece you want is in the stake music library. If it isn't, ask them if the stake can buy it for you and keep it in the library. If that doesn't work, then refer to your Bishop.

3. Don't expect to purchase a lengthy piece aka Cantata.

Cantatas are thick, they are long and they are usually pricey. Cantata's should be purchased by the stake and they need plenty of notice (a year or more) to make that fit into their budget.

4. Make sure that the piece is universal enough for other wards/congregations to use.

If you can explain that it is an easy piece that any ward choir can learn quickly, you will probably find more success in having the ward/stake purchase it for you to use.

5. Don't purchase it on your own.

Believe it or not this can lead to hurt feelings, someone being offended, or your own disappointment when the Bishop doesn't approve a piece that you have purchased.

6. Look for ways to save money on the purchase.

As much as I like supporting the local businesses, sometimes sheet music can be really overpriced through their retail stores. Do some research online and see if you can find it cheaper. Some of my favorite places to look are amazon.com and sheetmusicplus.com (click on the button on the home page).

As you seek to serve and bring the Spirit into your meetings, you will be blessed with direction as to what music should be performed and ways to make that happen will happen. Best of luck and happy flapping!