Logistics, Logistics, Logistics (for concerts)

In my years as an educator, I have worked some fantastic people who have helped me grow in the profession. And one of the major takeaways from several of them has not necessarily been what I teach in the classroom, but the behind the scenes stuff. For anyone who is going into the profession, whether you are student teaching now, or plan on it later on… LOGISTICS will be your friend.

Speaking from a music educators lens, I can say that logistics are the difference between keeping your choirs and audiences engaged or disengaged during concert season. Logistics… you get the picture. What specifically is important?

For concerts: Determine your concert performance order, and then determine where each group will be kept while the concert is running. From my own personal experience in my current district, we would typically rotate between a choir and a band (we have 5 curricular ensembles in our high school). For our most recent concert, we rotated Mixed Chorus, Symphonic Band, Treble Chorale, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Choir, GRAND FINALE (all student performers and alumni singers for our annual Hallelujah Chorus tradition). Students practiced several times prior to performance what the plan would be. Example, as soon as Mixed Chorus completed their portion of the program and began walking off their risers, Symphonic Band began walking on. Students involved in both ensembles had a friend holding their instrument for them so that they could hope right into the fold and be ready to go. And then the pattern would repeat itself the rest of the evening. By having students already prepared, knowing what they are doing, where they are going, we have effectively shaved several minutes off of total concert runtime. Five ensembles plus a grand finale from start to finish took 85 minutes, where sometimes, without logistics, you could be pushing the 2 hour mark for the same concert. Consider keeping all students in the loop, not just with the original plan, but what a plan B could potentially look like should something go awry.