Here we go! We are officially into holiday program mode! Get out your jingle bells, Santa costumes, and prepare for lots of rehearsals!

How do you survive this crazy season where all the holidays seem to collide at once? The answer is a lot of pre-planning! I’ve been teaching long enough that I have a lot of programs in my files. To be ready for programs over the coming year, I’ll start planning in the summer!

In addition to teaching, I direct an adult choir at my church. Planning for programs works the same with this group as well! I listen to new choral arrangements over the summer and make decisions about what to sing by the end of July. Our church has an subscription to several choral listening packs for me to review. My sweet husband patiently listens to Christmas music in June and Easter music in the fall any time we’re in the car (even when we’re on vacation!). We have fun choosing our favorites for the upcoming seasons. The music is ordered and rehearsals begin in August.

For my school programs, it’s best to look at previous Christmas programs, consider the school theme for the year, and update a program I used in the past. If I’m in a very creative mood or have a less busy summer, I will write a new musical. Doing the same programs year after year gets repetitive, so I’ll repeat a program every 4 or 5 years, or use a new one. I try to make all my decisions about programs before school starts, or no later than September.

Lincoln Elementary School is a K-5 school. The children in grades 3-5 perform a Veteran’s Day program in November. The K-2 students present a Christmas program in December each year. When working with hundreds of children, I like to think backwards. Take a look at each class – put them in tallest to shortest order at least a month before the program. Talk to the classroom teacher for a recommendation of their strongest readers. In my classroom, I will let the children read and sing parts several weeks before a program. This gives me time to make my selections of readers, actors, instrumentalists and singers. It also gives the child and parents plenty of time to learn and prepare their lines/songs.

Early in the school year, I order risers, chairs or other supplies that maintenance will deliver to my schools prior to programs. There are 9 elementary schools in our corporation, so all the music teachers try to work around each other’s programs and schedules. The wonderful maintenance department sets up my risers the day before the program and chairs the day of the program.

Classroom teachers are given copies of the program and songs, so they can play the music in the classroom and practice with the students who have speaking parts. I send home reading, singing and speaking parts with students several weeks prior to the program and encourage parents to help their children practice their parts. The next step is to set up a student rehearsal schedule starting with just a single grade at a time in the gym if possible. Next I add all of the same grade together to practice and ultimately everyone together in the gym hopefully two times before the program. When the gym is not available, we double up rehearsals in the music room.

On the day of the rehearsal, we have a combined practice in the morning and present the program for the rest of the school in the afternoon. If you plan far enough ahead with a practice schedule and present it to your principal and teachers, you will have better cooperation! All of our schedules are crammed full, so in fairness to everyone, prepare and plan. Look at the other specials schedules and be creative.

Our school uses an email system with parents called Dojo. This allows me to send e-mails to parents with information about programs, rehearsals and ways they can help their children prepare for a program. Learning about the systems and programs that help your school communicate will make life much easier!

Here is the basic outline for surviving programs with minimal stress:

1. PLAN – Plan what programs you’re going to do over the summer. You will have more time for music curriculum during the school year if your programs are planned ahead!
2. CREATE/CHOOSE PROGRAM – Choose or create your program several months in advance. Weave in themes, songs, and concepts from your program into your daily curriculum.
3. COMMUNICATE – Talk to your teachers, principals, and keep parents in the loop.
4. PREPARE – Work with your students first in smaller groups and then gradually in bigger groups to prepare for the program. Send program parts/songs/etc. to classroom teachers and parents so they can help the students go over their parts. This will help to make sure your program is ready to go!
5. PERFORM – If you’ve done all of your planning, the day of the program should be a breeze!
6. SMILE – Whatever hiccups you face, they will pass. Even the best laid plans can go awry, so smile and let life happen! Being organized decreases the chances of something going wrong by quite a bit!

Or, or, or, or, or, or organization.

Helps you start your day without frustration

Plan ahead so you will be prepared for school each day.

Or or, or, or, or, or organization

-Becky Muncy