How can I build an audience? You
know, I haven’t actually thought about it much. I’m not there yet, but I do
have an idea of what I should do.
Timing and
the date are always essential for planning any event. Every day varies for
families and friends, so giving the date and time of the event in advanced is
being kind and prepared. Usually a nighttime concert, during the week, has the
best turn out between 7 and 8 PM. Weekend concerts are a bit easier to plan
since it’s the time of the week were most people don’t have work. In my past
experience of concerts, a concert at 3 PM on a Sunday has the best crowd.
However, don’t expect these times to work for you because everyone is different
and this is only from what I’ve observed. I think it’s really trial and error
when it comes to planning an event; you cross off what doesn’t work and keep
what does.
Another way
to get an audience is through social media. Why wouldn’t you? It’s the best way
to contact people nowadays. At WCSU, most of the students who were involved
with an upcoming performance promoted the event via Facebook or Twitter. If you
were teaching a high school band, would it be a bad idea to encourage our
students to create a way to promote their concert? Would it be bad to ask for
their input on how they could get a big audience? OF COURSE NOT! If you get
your students involved, the more likely they’ll be excited for the concert.
As the
teacher, you could always send emails or newsletters to parents asking them to
spread the word and reminding them about the concert. Parents are a great
connection, too! The concert is free to all to come! We all know that families
come to concerts so the more the merrier!
One way the
opera performance grew a crowd was inviting local schools to come watch them. I
got to experience playing an opera once and it was great to see the excitement
the students had to see the show and then ask questions at the end. The 5th
graders at my internship school just went to see the New Britain Symphony
Orchestra. Getting schools to come watch you perform not only increases
participation, but also it could expand your audience as well.
Flyers
aren’t a bad idea either and it would be awesome to collaborate with the art
department to ask students to design and create some flyers. You would then ask
teachers throughout the school if it would be okay for them to hang up at least
one in their classroom in a spot that will be seen by all.
In my
internship school, the 4th and 5th grade bands performed
their short concert this past winter for the whole school during the day. At
night they performed again for their families. I would highly suggest doing
this because not only are they playing for their families, but they’re
performing for their peers as well! It sounds like a lot of fun and it’s good
exposure to performing for younger students. As for the older students, I
wouldn’t suggest performing the entire
concert, but perhaps a song or two that the students like the best.
Overall, I am not worried about an
audience for now. When the time comes, I will be and then I will scramble for
advice, however I do have an idea of what can help me. It may not be enough, but I can always ask for help to get a better idea of what I can do to make an audience.
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