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Preparing for choir practice used to be easy. Choir leaders would simply get out the songbooks and have them waiting for choir members when they arrived. Most of the songs practiced were already familiar and it was just a matter of going over them to reinforce things like timing, intonation, and to make sure that all the parts were covered.

Those days are long gone! Today, running a choir is much like running a major musical production. In many cases, the music presented each worship service IS a major production and the expectations seem to get greater every year. But thanks to technology like WAV and MP3 files, as well as the increasing bandwidth of internet connections, getting rehearsal material to choir members is not nearly as labor-intensive as it was in the past.

Just a few short years ago choir leaders had to make copies of musical parts on tape cassettes and CDs, not to mention the countless minutes standing by the copy machine for the purpose of printing musical parts. But again, thanks to technological advances spawning from the internet, all that has changed. It is so easy to send an email — which contains attachments such as a document with the words of a song and an MP3 file with the music – to a long list of choir members, all with just a few clicks of the mouse and keyboard.

Not only have technological advances helped choir directors keep their choir in tune and in time, but now there is a service that helps to keep them ON time as well. Voice broadcasting is such a service. With voice broadcasting service, all a choir director has to do is record one message. This message could announce a changed rehearsal time or perhaps remind members about an upcoming performance or event. The voice broadcasting services will properly notify each member of the news simultaneously, quickly getting the word out.

Yes, changing expectations have increased the responsibilities and stress of a modern-day choir director, but thanks to innovations in technology some parts of the job have become much easier.

Bands are a lot like businesses; and just like businesses, four out of five bands fail in the first year of existence. Why? The same reason that businesses fail. They are not properly managed.

Managing a band is really all about managing a practice. If one can master the art of managing practice sessions, then the odds are much greater that a band will last beyond the first year.

In order to properly run a practice there are three principles the band leader must absolutely adhere to. First, all practice times should be “set in stone.” This means having a set time each week for practice. For example, practice could be scheduled for every Thursday night. If you try to set practice schedules based on everyone’s upcoming schedule then you will find very few available practice days in common.

Pick a practice time and stick to it. Don’t change the practice time if it becomes inconvenient for someone else. Be willing to lose a band member over this philosophy if you have to. When band members realize that this policy is unwavering, they will (amazingly) find fewer excuses to miss practice.

Another principle that is important for managing practices is to have a very strict time policy. That means starting practices and stopping practices on time! One way of reminding band members about upcoming practices or gigs is the utilization of a voice broadcasting service. Voice messaging services are normally inexpensive and do all the heavy lifting when it comes to notification of band members. The band leader simply records one message, and that message is delivered to all band members at once. Most of these voice broadcasting services charge by the message – or by the length of the message – and are extremely cost-efficient when you consider the amount of time they can save.

The third (and probably most important) principle for managing a band is taking charge. A band leader must take control of the band as well as the practices. All of the band members must understand who is in charge. A band is not a democracy, but a dictatorship. Too many bands break up because of rivalries, jealousies, and petty fights over issues like: Whose songs are we going to work on? Who gets to sing lead tonight? Who gets to play the cool solo?

All of these issues can be resolved if there is one clear leader who makes the final decision. That being said, the best bands are run by “benevolent” dictators, leaders who are firm and decisive, yet respectful of other people’s feelings and opinions.

No one ever said that managing a band was easy, but if you follow these three principles, your band will have a lot greater chance of staying together. The side benefit is that the longer you stay together, the longer you can make beautiful music together.

Being in charge of a family reunion is usually a thankless job, and if this year is your turn, it’s probably not because you volunteered for it, but because someone in your family is trying to get you back for previous transgressions. Oh well; since you got stuck with the job you may as well make the most of it and show them just how organized you are.

The most important part of being in charge of a family reunion is securing the venue. In many cases, these venues have to be reserved a full year in advance. Always be sure to get a confirmation receipt in writing as soon as possible and be sure to follow up by phone 3 to 6 months out, and again 30 days prior to the event.

Venues may change ownership or management, and in some cases, even go out of business or be subject to certain catastrophes like fires or floods. When verifying the day(s), also verify the time(s), as well as certain amenities requested, such as extra seating or staffing.

Another important responsibility for those heading up family reunions is coordinating food and beverages. Is everyone supposed to bring a dish? If so, what type of dish should they bring? Are you responsible for ordering the meat, while everyone else brings side dishes and desserts? Who is furnishing the napkins and paper plates? These are all questions that must be asked in advance and nothing beats an old-fashioned sheet of columned paper or an online spreadsheet (if you are more technically savvy) for keeping track of who’s bringing what.

Of course, the best way to communicate “who is to bring what” is through the invitation, which brings us to our last tip for managing family reunions. An invitation needs to be sent out at least 90 days ahead of the scheduled event. In many cases, the date has been set since last year’s reunion, but a formal invitation still needs to go out with the date and time included. People need to be reminded so they can block out this date on their calendar. Additionally, another reminder should be sent 30 days prior to the event.

Depending on the size of your relative list, these communications can be quite expensive by the time you buy envelopes, cards, and stamps. Because of this, many families are turning to voice broadcasting service to get the message out. While voice messaging should never replace the written invitation, it can serve to replace all the follow-up messaging that is required.

Most voice messaging pricing structures make it a much cheaper alternative than snail mail, and more importantly, it can save you a lot of precious time. Yes, heading up a family reunion can be an unappreciated job, but with proper organization and planning, as well as a little bit of technology, you can make your turn much easier.