6 Tips for Assembling a Christmas Caroling Group

6 Tips for Assembling a Christmas Caroling Group Sign up successful With very little effort, even a small group of people can have a positive impact on their fellow citizens during a time that can be tough on a lot of us. Most of us know that how fun and rewarding it can be, but maybe not how exactly to get a caroling team together. Here are my tips for assembling a Christmas caroling group. • Choose the right nights. You may never get all of your neighbors home on the same night, but there are definitely those evenings when most folks will stay in, like Christmas Eve or even the night of the 23rd. Check with your local paper or city website to be sure that there arent any large events going on the night (or nights!) of your planned caroling, like a Christmas parade or a tree lighting.  Otherwise, you may find yourselves singing to a lot of empty houses.  And if  you plan to sing at nursing homes or local hospitals, call each of them to check on their rules  and available dates and times for visiting groups like yours. • Recruit your singers. Print out simple, festive fliers announcing an open call for singers and post it at your local high  schools, colleges, churches, and community centers. List your email address and  the dates that you plan on caroling. For safety reasons, be careful not to list too much personal  information, like your home address or full name. Of course, if you have a family, a group of  neighbors, or church members who already want to form a group, then you have a core team. But why not recruit more singers? I have a feeling that the phrase the more, the  merrier came from the Christmas caroling tradition. • Plan a couple of rehearsals. On those nights mentioned above where theres a big local event and most people are out  and about, plan your rehearsals. You may not be able to get every singer to every rehearsal; just do your best. Christmas caroling isnt about a perfect choir sound, its about spreading joy. So these get-togethers should be easy, simply a chance to bring your sound together. • Decide on your set list. Focus on choosing Christmas carol songs that most of your singers know well by taking a survey at your first  rehearsal. You wouldnt want to turn your fun, laid-back rehearsals into sight singing boot camp  sessions where everyones struggling through the music. Simple and happy is the name of the  game. You shouldnt even have a formal order of songs.  A leader of the group should choose  songs moment by moment and venue by venue, depending on the vibe. That might mean bright  and vibrant carols at a childrens hospital, and mellow and reverent songs at a veterans home, or vice  versa! • Assemble and distribute music. Print out copies of the Christmas carol songs that youve chosen and place them into small, inexpensive  binders. Everyone could highlight his or her part in the music (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass) and any  solos. • Bring scarves, a pitch pipe, and tea. If you live in a region of the world that experiences cold temperatures during Advent and  Christmas, then before your Christmas caroling group heads out, be sure that every singer brings  a scarf to keep the old voice boxes warm. The skin that covers them is thin and delicate. Tumblers of chai tea, which is full of anti-inflammatory power to keep vocal swelling down, are a fun option. Never forget that your primary focus is spreading good cheer and good will to your community.  While we should always strive to do our best, the only way to ruin your caroling adventures is to  take the whole thing too seriously. Keep calm, and carol on. Heather L. teaches singing, piano, acting, and more in St. Augustine, FL, as well as through online lessons. She is  a graduate of the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and has performed with the New York and Royal Philharmonics, the New Jersey and Virginia Symphonies, the American Boy Choir, and the internationally renowned opera star Andrea Bocelli.  Learn more about Heather here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  Richard Towell