Church Choir Music Database
  • RFS
    Posts: 1
    I'm doing volunteer work for a very historic church in the area, helping them create a database to house the music library and to track performance history. Excel meets the KISS requirement, but I'm thinking that Microsoft Access, while difficult to learn, may be a more robust program to use as their collection of music is fairly extensive. Any discussion here on the Musica Sacra Forum would be appreciated.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    A database will definitely give you more functionality, but the question is: do you need it? And in the future, who will maintain it? Excel is something that most people could figure out on their own; Access not so much.
    Thanked by 3RFS Liam PaxMelodious
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I'd only go with a database if you're willing to write a frontend for it.

    Not to mention, if you do excel properly, an import into a DB in the future shouldn't be horribly hard.
    Thanked by 3RFS BruceL Jes
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 195
    Excel will do the job just fine, and can handle everything a church music library needs catalogued. (Speaking from over 20 years of experience at some very large and some pretty old churches with long traditions.)
    Thanked by 1RFS
  • music123
    Posts: 100
    This has been one of my summer projects, and I have been using Obvibase, which free to individual users online and is cloud-based. It has some quirks but seems to be working well. I can show you the way I have been using it if you are interested.
    Thanked by 1RFS
  • ChoirpartsChoirparts
    Posts: 147
    If you have more than 50 records with multiple entries , use the MS Access database. It will save you much grief later on. You can always export your data into MS Excel at any time for those who need it. Keep your primary data secure in Access, and you will be thankful later .... because data sorting in Excel is easily prone to mistakes, and will completely disorganize data files.
  • Priestboi
    Posts: 155
    How about something like this?

    http://listoffreeware.com/best-free-library-management-software-for-windows/
    The first entry should work quite well, but there are other options too.
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 442
    The key questions though is who will maintain this after you've left. If the answer is "no one, there's no need" - then use whatever tools you are comfortable with. But if it's anything else, then you need to work to the skill levels of your likely replacement.

    Even writing a front-end doesn't remove that problem - if anything, it means that your replacement would also need skills in front-end maintenance as well.

    Personally I've never felt the need to use anything more than a spreadsheet for church-music management (and I'm an analyst working with industrial-sized databases in my day job, in places where Access is seen as a toy-database for wanna-be's).

    Thanked by 1RFS
  • jefe
    Posts: 200
    You know, this OBVIBASE character has turned up in every choir that I've conducted. There seems to not be a convenient way to turn him down. 8-)

    One more thing about your choice of database software. Once you've decided on an application platform, there is no going back. You own it, and hope the next maintainer does too.
    Thanked by 2music123 RFS
  • ChoirpartsChoirparts
    Posts: 147
    RSF If you have MS Access, use it. If you only have MS Excel, use that. If you use Access, you can later export your data to Excel when you turn over the information to the next person.
    But,,,keep your Access files, because the next person will call you back in 6 months to tell you they messed up their Excel files...
    Thanked by 3Casavant Organist RFS CharlesW
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    As Ben says, the interface is important. My former job had someone who specialized in this. I never used the actual database file. My current job has a talented amateur database deacon handling it. His work is excellent, but I still have three copies of the database saved for when I mess one up...

    Might be worth adding it all to the database, then having someone write a front end!
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    The key questions though is who will maintain this after you've left. If the answer is "no one, there's no need" - then use whatever tools you are comfortable with. But if it's anything else, then you need to work to the skill levels of your likely replacement.


    Very true. One solution is to write a (brief) "instructions" sheet saying what you did, how it works, and how to keep on doing it without breaking anything. Save the file in the same place as the database with a name like "MUSIC DATABASE INSTRUCTIONS - read before using."
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    My current job has a talented amateur database deacon handling it


    database deacon...I feel like there's a joke waiting to be made...
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Excel meets the KISS requirement, but I'm thinking that Microsoft Access,


    No and no.
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    database deacon


    You know that, according to Canon Law, if this database should happen to die, he is prohibited from handling another one?
    Thanked by 3JL Ben PaxMelodious
  • ChoirpartsChoirparts
    Posts: 147
    RFS, it's better to use what you know best ... it will save you time in the long run. Once your project is done, the data can be converted to other platforms to suit the end user.
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    I use Excel, it works for me.
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