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Essentials in
Get Famous
Tips on how to encourage vocal music AND grow the Society
Discover more than 100 ways your chapter can keep the music alive in North America.
Updated: 5/9/2002 12:00:00 AM
Tips on how to encourage vocal music AND grow the Society
What can we do in our communities to encourage vocal music?"
"What can we do to add excitement to our barbershop experience and interest other men to join with us?"
Those questions took center stage during "brainstorming" sessions at the Society’s 2002 Leadership Forum held in Racine, WI, November 2-3, 2001.
The Leadership Task Force consolidated the ideas from all groups for action on personal, chapter, and Society levels.
What can we do to encourage vocal music in our communities?
Personal / Quartets
1. Appear at promotions for local music stores.
2. Ask people you meet "Is singing missing in your life?". Then give them information on local singing organizations.
3. Conduct "fifth wheel" singing at shopping malls (invite passers by to experience the joy of singing) and hand out information on local singing organizations.
4. Create a singing group bulletin board" link on the local community web site.
5. Hand out information on all local community singing groups at your performances.
6. Sing with a "celebrity" on local TV with a "plug" or local vocal music clubs.
Chapter
1. Adopt school choral group.
2. Apply for local arts grants to support project dedicated to promoting community music programs.
3. Appoint each chapter member as an "Ambassador of Vocal Music".
4. Arrange inter-faith choral performances for major community events.
5. Arrange to sing with the local symphony.
6. Become advocates for vocal music programs at School Board Meetings
7. Conduct "Harmony Month" campaigns in conjunction with other community singing groups.
8. Conduct old fashioned sing-alongs at movies.
9. Conduct sing-alongs during intermissions at various community and sporting events.
10. Create a singing group bulletin board" link on the local community web site.
11. Create a traveling minstrel show with community vocal groups to visit and entertain at local schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
12. Deliver 20-second spots promoting community singing to all radio and public TV stations in the area.
13. Develop contacts with other community singing and musical groups to plan joint efforts.
14. Donate money to community musical organizations.
15. Donate money to local school choirs monthly.
16. Encourage interested guests to form quartets and sing for the chapter.
17. Enlist corporations to donate or pay for bill boards to promote community vocal groups.
18. Exchange visits and appear jointly with other vocal groups.
19. Feature local singers and groups on your shows.
20. Feature school choruses to sing on chapter performances and shows.
21. Find and support a media advocate for vocal music in the community.
22. Form a community-based music association.
23. Fund a toll free number with pre-recorded information on all local vocal music organizations.
24. Get grant money to purchase and distribute "Get America Singing Again" to schools and local organizations.
25. Give "Harmony Recognition Awards" to schools and other community music groups.
26. Hand out information on all local community singing groups at your performances.
27. Hold "March Madness Quartet and Vocal Ensemble Contests" in shopping malls.
28. Hold a Christmas benefit show with other singing groups for a community-based charity.
29. Hold a singing contest on the radio.
30. Hold sing-alongs at all public quartet and chorus performances.
31. Host a community vocal talent night.
32. Host recognition ceremonies for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who earn singing and choral merit badges.
33. Invite all vocal groups in the community to sing together at a major community event.
34. Invite youth and diverse groups (e.g., gospel chorus) to sing on shows.
35. Join other community singing organizations to sponsor school singing competitions for all age groups.
36. Lead community sing at Christmas lighting ceremony.
37. Lead sing-alongs at half time for local football team.
38. Offer "honorary memberships" to VIPs and publicize.
39. Offer free vocal coaching to other community vocal groups.
40. Organize a "corporate challenge" to select a community singing champion.
41. Organize a "music of my youth" concert with community vocal groups for grandparents clubs.
42. Organize a Boy Scout / Girl Scout sing along.
43. Organize a children's music workshop with other community music groups.
44. Organize a community-Christmas performance with groups throughout the community.
45. Organize a lip synch contest.
46. Organize a local "service club" singing competition and arrange for participation from all community singing groups. Include local PR and prizes to stimulate interest.
47. Organize a vocal music council in community.
48. Organize adult education classes for singing.
49. Organize community choral performances for teachers during "in-service" days.
50. Organize community vocal group to sing at the Olympics.
51. Organize father-son community choral group.
52. Organize mass sing of patriotic songs at major community and sporting events.
53. Organize mass sings at major community events.
54. Organize mass sings of all community choirs for special occasions
55. Organize meeting with vocal music teachers to define their needs, and then address them.
56. Organize program for local vocal music groups to open City Council meetings with songs.
57. Organize sing-alongs at corporate meetings.
58. Organize strolling singers in neighborhood for year round performances.
59. Organize summer music and vocal festivals with community groups.
60. Organize vocal music demonstrations at local library.
61. Participate in acapella summits.
62. Partner with Sweet Adelines and Harmony, Inc. for events and appearances.
63. Perform on and sell tickets to school musical performances and donate all money raised to the school music program.
64. Pick up costs for all state choir participants from your community.
65. Place community music information in "Welcome Wagon" packets.
66. Plan joint performances with local symphony.
67. Produce a vocal cabaret featuring community vocal music groups.
68. Produce recording of school chorus. Then market, sell, and give profit to the school music program.
69. Promote the financial and health benefits of singing as a life style.
70. Provide guest conductor for college choir.
71. Provide local music teacher with assistance, music, encouragement for performances.
72. Provide music educations kits to schools.
73. Provide someone to lead community (gang) singing at all business and other non-singing conventions coming into a community.
74. Provided entertainment for local community group functions.
75. Publish "singing group bulletin board" with description, meeting and performance information on all local vocal music groups in all church bulletins.
76. Rent kiosks to promote community music activities.
77. Run festivals and competitions for community music organizations.
78. Serve as a broker for elementary school music programs in regard to music and instructional materials.
79. Sing for free for anyone.
80. Sing spontaneously in public.
81. Sing with a "celebrity" on local TV with a "plug" for local vocal music clubs.
82. Sponsor "healing through harmony" events.
83. Sponsor a "parent-child"community sing off with local corporate sponsorship.
84. Sponsor a Boy Scout "Venturing" program for vocal music.
85. Sponsor a gospel sing.
86. Sponsor benefit shows for music departments.
87. Sponsor church/religious music festival with community choirs.
88. Sponsor community singing workshops.
89. Sponsor forum and professional seminars for community choral leaders.
90. Sponsor lunch-time chorus formation in the work place.
91. Sponsor public patriotic sing-alongs.
92. Start a military singing club.
93. Support and join MENC.
94. Support CASA Youth Programs.
95. Support development of a "parent's chorus" for assorted community organization.
96. Underwrite a community vocal talent show.
97. Underwrite church choir and high school music performances.
98. Volunteer to assist with school music contests and adjudications.
99. Write letters to the editor of local papers promoting vocal groups and activities.
Society/District
1. Develop 20-second spots promoting community singing to deliver to radio and public TV stations.
2. Develop PR campaign to gain national recognition for collective Society efforts to encourage vocal music in our communities.
3. Develop tabloid inserts for use with local publications.
4. Develop tapes and CDs for sing-alongs.
5. Encourage National Endowment for the Arts to endorse barbershop.
6. Negotiate reciprocity membership agreements with other vocal music groups.
7. Negotiate with universities to recognize choral director experience as "internship" for college credit.
8. Organize web-based sing-alongs.
9. Promote Harmony Week.
10. Provide scholarships to college vocal majors.
11. Sponsor "healing through harmony" events.
12. Sponsor harmony workshop with community vocal music organizations.
What can we do to add excitement to our barbershop experience and interest other men to join with us?
Personal / Quartets
1. Appear and entertain in Flag Day ceremonies.
2. Coach YMIH quartets.
3. Include audience participation in mall Christmas singing.
4. Perform for PTAs with YMIH quartets and choruses.
5. Perform in support of MENC meetings.
6. Sing and fund raise for local charities.
7. Sing national anthem at public events.
8. Sing on high school shows.
Chapter
1. Adopt a community choir.
2. Adopt a highway.
3. Advertise in the Yellow Pages.
4. Advertise on park benches and the sides of buses.
5. Appear and entertain in Flag Day ceremonies.
6. Appear at promotions for local music stores.
7. Appoint a school district liaison.
8. Arrange for school district quartets to sing at senior citizen centers.
9. Arrange staff visits to high school choruses.
10. Broadcast annual show on cable access channel.
11. Buy music for other community groups.
12. Chapter president appear on local media.
13. Christmas mall sing.
14. Clean up local theaters.
15. Conduct "teach a lullaby" campaign for new fathers and grandfathers.
16. Decorate store fronts with barbershop materials.
17. Deliver Christmas Carols with Christmas tree sale.
18. Demonstrate barbershop sound at quartet and chorus performances.
19. Develop and release CDs for truckers.
20. Distribute "Free and Easy Placemats".
21. Donate barbershop CDs for dealers to issue with every new car.
22. Donate blood - then sing.
23. Donate CDs to radio stations.
24. Donate quartet performances for high school shows.
25. Donate show tickets to community leaders and groups.
26. Donate subscriptions to Harmonizer.
27. Donate tapes and CDs to local libraries.
28. Donate tickets you won't sell to local high school.
29. Emphasize music of the younger generation in public performances.
30. Emphasize music of the younger generation.
31. Entertain at community picnics.
32. Get barbershop music into "MUZAK" systems.
33. Get community dignitary to install officers.
34. Get involved in Chamber of Commerce planning.
35. Get men to deliver their own valentines (buyer learns to sing).
36. Give away quartet as a prize and have them sing on the radio.
37. Give away tickets to chapter show rehearsal.
38. Give chapter show tickets to students to sell and let them keep profits for school music programs.
39. Give free singing valentines to public figures.
40. Give scholarships to Music Educators.
41. Have barbershop float in local parades.
42. Have booth at county fair giving away beer for anyone who can match a pitch.
43. Have kiosk in mall with barbershop merchandise.
44. Have quartet cruise mall and have members follow-up with those showing interest.
45. Hire youth vocal groups to appear on chapter shows and performances.
46. Hold "March Madness Quartet Contests" in shopping malls.
47. Hold a woodshedding contest.
48. Hold chorus rehearsal at local mall to entertain shoppers.
49. Hold intermission sing alongs.
50. Hold or sponsor fraternity quartet contests.
51. Hold pizza nights with school choirs and split profits.
52. Hold sing-alongs at youth camps during the summer.
53. Hold sing-alongs for seniors.
54. Hold your annual show in different communities.
55. Include audience participation in mall Christmas singing.
56. Include audience participation in mall Christmas singing.
57. Invite Junior High students to learn songs and feature them on performances.
58. Invite local feature writer to your annual show.
59. Invite local VIP to MC shows.
60. Invite mayor to chapter Christmas party.
61. Invite men to carole.
62. Invite men to participate in "fill in a tag" quartet.
63. Invite newspaper music critics to your show.
64. Invite vocal music educators to mini-HEP schools.
65. Involve members and quartets in musical events sponsored by other community groups.
66. Issue news releases to promote choruses and quartets.
67. Join local arts council.
68. Join the local Chamber of Commerce.
69. Lead sing-alongs at half time for local football team.
70. Learn and perform ethnic songs.
71. Leave Harmonizer in waiting rooms.
72. List chapter activities in "What's On this Week"
73. Lottery drawing for free membership.
74. Meet and sing in local book store and coffee house.
75. Meet in a different town every month.
76. Move your weekly afterglows to different locations around town.
77. Offer free "warm up" performances for other community vocal group shows.
78. Offer free community performances.
79. Offer free singing lessons.
80. Offer quartets to sing for free during high school choral performances.
81. Offer scholarships to high school students and music educators for mini-HEP.
82. Offer tickets you won't sell for free to community music groups.
83. Offer to appear for free on other group's shows.
84. Organize "drive by" singing event.
85. Organize a "school board quartet" challenge.
86. Organize a Christmas show with kids playing parts and singing.
87. Organize and participate in American Legion and Veterans clubs sing along.
88. Organize fill in choirs for churches in the summer.
89. Organize joint shows with other chapters.
90. Organize package tours for seniors to show matinee performances.
91. Organize vocal music demonstrations at local library.
92. Participate actively in local school music program.
93. Pay children to assist with show production.
94. Perform at local theaters.
95. Perform for PTAs with YMIH quartets and choruses.
96. Perform Happy Birthday sings at local restaurants.
97. Perform in support of MENC meetings.
98. Post logos on edge-of-town (signs).
99. Print and use chapter business cards.
100. Promote college quartets and contests.
101. Promote performances and shows on "Oldie's" stations.
102. Provide music and tapes to high school music educators.
103. Provide scholarships to college vocal majors.
104. Put public domain music on your web site.
105. Put up signs offering free singing lessons.
106. Raffle off a quartet to sing for the person of your choice.
107. Scan wedding announcements and deliver romantic songs.
108. Send chapter information to local college and corporate recruiters.
109. Sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during 7th inning stretch.
110. Sing and fund raise for local charities.
111. Sing at ethnic churches.
112. Sing at Flag Day ceremonies.
113. Sing at funerals.
114. Sing at grocery stores.
115. Sing at holiday gift wrap counters (that's where the men are!).
116. Sing at noon on a downtown street corner.
117. Sing at the airport for all the people in line.
118. Sing at VA and public hospitals.
119. Sing at youth sport activities.
120. Sing for blood drive.
121. Sing for free for anyone.
122. Sing for Halloween "Trick or Treaters".
123. Sing for prison inmates, local jail, and youth detention centers.
124. Sing for Salvation Army donations.
125. Sing for your supper at youth camps.
126. Sing in many places throughout the community - even unusual ones - and even uninvited.
127. Sing in pre-game festivities at local ball games.
128. Sing national anthem at public events.
129. Sing on high school shows.
130. Sing with military choral groups.
131. Singing at special community events.
132. Singing grandpa's at grade schools.
133. Singing telegrams for all occasions.
134. Sponsor "old songs" sing along.
135. Sponsor benefit shows for music departments.
136. Sponsor booths at music conferences, county fairs, etc.
137. Sponsor community quartet contests.
138. Sponsor director membership in professional organizations.
139. Sponsor high school barbershop clubs.
140. Sponsor high school quartet contest.
141. Sponsor male and female student night at chapter meeting.
142. Sponsor radio show.
143. Sponsor YMIH in a local school.
144. Sponsor YMIH performances in the community.
145. Sponsor youth groups to musical conventions.
146. Stock karaoke bars with barbershop music and sponsor karaoke nights.
147. Support CASA Youth Programs.
148. Teach audience to sing a "numbers" tag.
149. Teach tags at the airport.
150. Use a professional ad agency to build a PR campaign.
151. Use your ladies auxiliary to market your chorus to other organizations.
152. Volunteer to sing at hospitals.
153. Volunteer to sing for service clubs.
Society/District
1. Acquire PBS TV spots.
2. Design and produce singing calendars and barbershop greeting cards.
3. Design package shows (script and music) for use with other community vocal groups and make available to chapters for their use locally.
4. Develop and produce "Free and Easy Placemats".
5. Develop and produce "store hours" decals with Society Logo.
6. Develop college chapters.
7. Develop CDs for truckers and 4-wheel drive owners.
8. Fund scholarships to high school students and music educators for mini-HEP.
9. Invite vocal music educators to mini-HEP schools.
10. Promote college quartets and contests.
11. Provide reprints of key articles from Harmonizer for distribution to school music educators.
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