As you prepare your students for a concert, a checklist can help you keep all the details straight. Here’s a suggested list from MENC member Christine Nowmos.

1 Month Before

• Send letter to parents and include concert date, attendance policy, and attire.
• Fill out a facilities request form.
• Audition students for solos or small group parts.
• Recruit parent volunteers.

2–3 Weeks Before

• Begin practicing without the sheet music (if applicable).
• Finalize concert order.
• Prepare seating chart if kids need to sit in audience while other groups perform.
• Rehearse onstage with soloists and mics.

1 Week Before

• Finalize program and seating chart.
• Send a parent/volunteer reminder and remind students about etiquette.
• Confirm setup with maintenance team and make sure equipment works.
• Invite school employees.

A Few Days Before

• Copy programs and select students to hand them out.
• Include a reminder on school announcements.
• Create attendance lists and lineup order lists.

Concert Day

• Set up mics, sound system, and instruments.
• Mark reserved seats and put signs on classrooms for students to report to.
• Supervise volunteers and give them lineup order sheets.
• Line up and warm up students, give reminder about behavior and a quick pep talk.
• Get the kids in the auditorium without major mishap and perform.

Post-Concert

• Make sure all equipment is put away.
• Send thank-you notes to volunteers.
• Tell your students what a great job they did!

View an expanded checklist on the MENC forums

Christine Nowmos teaches at Mary S. Shoemaker Elementary School in Woodstown, NJ.

--Anne Wagener, August 19, 2008, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education