Fall Concert Newsletter Guide for Music Teachers

The fall concert is the year's first public performance and the one that sets the tone for the program's relationship with its audience. A newsletter that creates genuine anticipation, communicates all the logistics clearly, and tells families what their child has been working toward turns a routine school event into something families actually show up for.

Lead with the date and time

The most important information in a concert newsletter is the date, the time, and the location. State them in the first line, not buried at the end. "The fall concert is on Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 PM in the school auditorium. Student call time is 6:30 PM." Families who need to arrange childcare, request time off work, or plan for parking make those arrangements the moment they read the date.

Tell families what to expect

What ensembles are performing, in what order, and approximately how long the concert will run. Name two or three of the pieces that will be performed and include a sentence about each. "We will open with a traditional Spanish folk arrangement the concert band has been developing all fall. The jazz ensemble closes the evening with a set featuring three student soloists." That description gives families something to look forward to.

Communicate student expectations clearly

Call time. What to wear and where to change if necessary. Where to enter the building. What to bring and what to leave at home. "Students should arrive by 6:30 PM wearing black pants and a white button-down shirt. No sneakers. Instrument and music folder required. Students should enter through the side door marked Music Room." That level of specificity prevents the ten phone calls you get at 6:45 PM asking where to go.

Address audience logistics

Parking, whether seating is reserved or first-come, whether early arrival is recommended, and any recording policies. If there is a reception or social event after the concert, mention it. Families who know where to go and what to expect arrive in a better mood than those who circle the parking lot for twenty minutes and miss the opening piece.

Build the moment with a word from the director

Close the newsletter with one paragraph from you about what this concert means to the ensemble and what you are proud of. Not a formal program note. A genuine sentence or two. "This group has worked harder than any ensemble I have directed in the fall. I am genuinely proud of what they have prepared and I cannot wait for you to hear it." Families who read that arrive as supporters, not just observers.