Winter Concert Preparation Newsletter from Music Teacher

Winter concerts are the most attended events in many school music programs. They also happen during the most schedule-crowded time of the year. Families are managing holiday events, family travel, and end-of- semester school activities all at once. A newsletter strategy that gives them enough advance notice and enough logistical information to show up prepared makes the difference between a packed house and empty seats.

Start in October for a December concert

The families most likely to attend a winter concert are the ones who have it on the calendar in October. Those families also tend to tell other family members, which fills the auditorium with grandparents and aunts and uncles who would not otherwise know about the event.

Your first newsletter does not need to have every logistical detail. It needs the date, the approximate time, the location, and one compelling sentence about what families will hear. "This year's winter concert features a mix of traditional winter music and contemporary choral arrangements from around the world. It is one of the best programs we have prepared." That sentence is enough to get the event onto family calendars in October.

What to include in each newsletter

• Newsletter 1 (six to eight weeks before): Date, time, location, general repertoire description, save-the-date request.
• Newsletter 2 (three weeks before): Dress code with specific descriptions, performer arrival time, audience arrival time, ticket information, reception details if applicable.
• Newsletter 3 (one week before): Brief reminder with all logistics confirmed, one specific thing to listen for in the concert, any updates since the last newsletter.

Describing the repertoire

Families who know what they are going to hear listen more attentively and enjoy the concert more. Include a brief description of each piece in your second newsletter.

"Students will open with 'Carol of the Bells,' a Ukrainian carol that many families know from holiday radio. Our arrangement features the upper voices in a call-and-response that builds to a full ensemble finale. Students have worked on this since October and the payoff is worth waiting for."

The dress code section

Dress code is the logistics detail that generates the most last-minute communication. Prevent it entirely with specificity. For every element of the dress code, state it clearly with examples and what is not acceptable.

"Dress code: black pants or black skirt (knee length or longer), white top (long sleeve preferred but not required), black dress shoes (leather or leather-look, no sneakers, no sandals, no boots). Hair should be neat and out of the face. No hats or large hair accessories."

One more sentence: "If this is a hardship, please contact me privately and we will make it work." That sentence removes the barrier for the families who most need flexibility.

Audience etiquette

Include a brief audience etiquette note in your logistics newsletter. "Please silence all devices before the concert begins. Photography and video recording are welcome as long as flash is not used." If your school has other guidelines, include those. Audiences who know the expectations create better concert environments for student performers.