What is the online presence of your schola/music program?
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Do you use the internet to promote and recruit?

    Do you communicate with your musicians using email, Google Groups, Facebook or Twitter?

    Do you have the ability to respond to this without going dramatically off-topic?

    Do you have a good recipe for....oh, sorry.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I don't really use the internet to promote or recruit, I might occasionally post a music list on FB or here.

    I communicate with musicians via e-mail (except for the one(s) who don't use it), and occasionally via FB.

    Why would we ever go off topic?

    By the way, have you tried Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine?
    Thanked by 2noel jones, aago CHGiffen
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    I use social media a lot. Particularly for practice videos with my groups since we meet weekly. This helps get in extra practice time for people interested. I know that not everyone is going to go practice daily, but I can hope!
    Thanked by 1noel jones, aago
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Particularly for practice videos with my groups


    Want to post a link as an example? I'd be interested in seeing how this works for you!
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    I generally email my peeps between Sunday and our Tues. rehearsal. Repertoire lists go up on a Google Doc. I haven't done much with online recruiting yet because I'm responsible to the MD who requires prior approvals and parish branding.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    Particularly for practice videos with my groups


    I create audio files for my choir... this is useful for part-singing. Some people do use it. I would not share this with anyone outside my choir for fear of being negatively judged.

    I use email to communicate to most of my choir and occasionally post information on facebook.

    I don't have time for Twitter, nor do I really understand the point of it in this circumstance.

  • Spriggo
    Posts: 122
    I send out a weekly email to everyone involved in music ministry with the music for the following Sunday. I also send practice videos (also via email) to the choir weekly. I use texting as well, especially with teens. Social media, not so much.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    I use e-mail to communicate with my cantors. I send them pdf copies of psalms, music lists, and communion antiphons each month. I don't use the internet to communicate with the choir. Many of them don't even use e-mail.
  • lmassery
    Posts: 404
    We have our own page on the church's website where I post the mass plans and practice recordings
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    I don't have time for Twitter, nor do I really understand the point of it in this circumstance.


    Anyone finds Twitter useful?
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160

    Do you use the internet to promote and recruit?Not social media, only parish web page. Communication, yes. Recruitment, no.


    Do you communicate with your musicians using email, Google Groups, Facebook or Twitter?email/text messages only

    Do you have the ability to respond to this without going dramatically off-topic? Yes! And there was great rejoicing! Oops, just negated my yes. Sorry.



  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    Do you have the ability to respond to this without going dramatically off-topic?


    Off-topic? What nonsense is this you are spouting? ;-)
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Is outrage?
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    Is definite outrage! What will these geezers come up with next. They shouldn't be let out in the heat of the day.

  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    I am shocked. Shocked! To find that there's digression going on in this forum!

    But on-topic - outside of e-mail/texting, I'm hoping to get a musician's page on our apostolate's website, listing upcoming music as well as sound files to help.
    Thanked by 2melofluent CharlesW
  • soarmarcsoarmarc
    Posts: 42
    I usually email my choir members weekly with music for the following rehearsal and Sunday Mass. If necessary, I include pdf copies of the music or links to YouTube videos, especially for new music. I also create and send out audio recordings if there are multiple vocal parts. I have considered setting up a shared Dropbox or Google Drive folder to store everything, but haven't got around to it yet.

    Anyone finds Twitter useful?

    Not for communicating with choir members. But I follow chantcafecom and ccwatershed, among others, for updates and inspiration.
    Thanked by 2melofluent noel jones, aago
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    When I was leading a schola, I set up my own website and on it I placed all the programs, scores, and recordings for everything I had. I would email people on a weekly basis. The recordings and music were passworded to avoid copyright infringement.

    We had a dedicated page on the parish website, but I never got any contacts through that.

    I also captured recordings, and the Colloquium Archive is an outgrowth of that.
    Thanked by 3noel jones, aago CHGiffen Choirparts
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    The recordings and music were passworded to avoid being caught for copyright infringement.


    Fixed, unfortunately.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    One schola I sing with uses a private group for communication and a little bit of socializing as well.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,694
    All motets, Kyriale, most hymns, etc... are on dropbox.

    Email.

    Televised Masses are on YouTube.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Dropbox is also a fantastic tool. Use it many times a day for music, work, and everything else
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 119
    I too create audio files for practice and place them on our choir web site. I also link to YouTube performances and practice videos like the ones on the Choir Parts channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Choirparts. I email the choir every week with reminders and such. I would like to use Facebook and Twitter, but not enough of my members are on social media.

    A few of my "senior" members do not even have computers (c'mon, my 80 year-old Mom uses her computer all day). So for those people, I will will burn a CD with the practice audio. But this year I had a guy join who does not even have a CD player! He claims his car is not even equipped with one. What's he driving, a Model T? Sheesh - CDs have only been around for about 30+ years. I wonder if the guy has a microwave...
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    Does he wear tinfoil hats?

    But, if you do not have people who live outside the box, like this, in your schola/choir, you are missing the boat in your recruiting! The fringes of the world contain people of genius and strong loyalty.

    I mean, look at Mahrt!
    Thanked by 1Steve Q
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    Microwaves are devices used by aliens to control human minds and make them like music by the St. Louis Jesuits and Marty Haugen. They are particularly dangerous to good taste and right order. Aluminum foil helmets should be worn around them at all times.

    On the car/CD thing, the new car I bought in 2003 was the first I owned that came with a CD player. Perhaps non-Toyotas had them earlier? All my pre-2003 cars had cassette players.
    Thanked by 2Steve Q CHGiffen
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Mahrt is fringe! Who knew?
    And he's also the most interesting man in the world, too,
    Stay churchy my friends,
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab noel jones, aago
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 119
    Charles, funny my 2001 Honda didn't come with a cassette player so I had to have one custom installed (for my vast collection of jazz cassettes).

    I also offered my choir member a cassette tape (I was half joking), but he looked at me like I was some Star Trek character traveling back in time from the 24th century. Well, maybe I'll just have to crank up the old Victrola. The wonders of technology!
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    My cassette deck is starting to act up after 30 years of use. I am either going to have to buy a new one - still available on Amazon - or convert all those cassettes to CDs. I have a large collection. My aunt had a Victrola which she let me crank as a child. One of those fun things I will always remember.
    Thanked by 1Steve Q
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    He'll only leave the fringe when he moves on to Sons of God and makes the gradual progression to today!
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    Parish website page with 'About' the Propers and links to upcoming recordings (we are doing Simple English Propers for the next few years): http://annunciationbrazil.org/ministries/sacred-music/propers-about-why-sing-them

    Choir page: http://annunciationbrazil.org/ministries/sacred-music/saint-cecilia-choir

    Schola has its own website: http://www.stambroseschola.com/

    Music program is 9 months old, so still working out all the kinks in communicating with people, but online is definitely the way to go for the majority of communications.
    Thanked by 1noel jones, aago
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,157
    Who knew that the SEP was being used in Brazil? Wow!

    ;-)
    Thanked by 1sergeantedward
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