Choir Management 101 - Registration
We’re using “Registration” as an umbrella term, that effectively means, “everything that happens between the time a prospective (or previous) chorus member expresses interest, and the day of their first rehearsal”. As you know, so many things need to happen during “registration” to get that prospective member from point A to point B: auditions, interviews, intake forms, fees.
Whether you allow ongoing registration, or only take in new members or renewals once per year, it always involves a ton of communication with individual people, policies, and money, making it one of the most important and most frustrating parts of choir management. If you enter into this without a plan, it's going to be chaos, but if you think it through, you can come out the other side with the satisfaction of a critical job well done. You may even be well-rested at the end! Here's your guide to creating a registration game plan.
Seasonal Registration
This type of registration will apply to choral groups that operate on a seasonal basis, you might have multiple choir ‘terms’ in a year, or someone might join for one entire ‘season’. That means you audition, select and register members only during a set period(s) each year, in advance of the season or term.
Questions to consider:
How many of my choristers are returning/staying on this season?
Do I have registration targets I have to meet to keep my group a healthy size?
What is my recruitment budget for this registration season?
How am I going to spread the word about upcoming registration / auditions to the wider community?
A seasonal push for registration means you can plan to spend resources in one short burst, to attract new members, organize auditions, meet financial and growth targets, and make sure everyone has what they need before rehearsals start.
It also means, there is a significant amount of work in a limited period of time, and you are really giving yourself 1 chance to get it ‘right’. Make sure you have plans in place just in case you don’t meet your targets or get the voice types you need.
The good news is, it only happens once. And the bad news? It only happens once.
Year-round Registration
Year-round registration means that, at any point in time during the year, a new member might sign up and join your choir. Most barbershop choruses register year-round, and members can join at any point (possibly subject to audition and space limitations).
Groups that have year-round registration rely on consistency of numbers. At the same time, you have to allow room for members to come and go, and make sure that when they do, it won’t affect your ability to operate.
Questions to consider:
What is the minimum number of active members my group needs to operate?
What happens if several of our members leave?
At what point do we spend resources to recruit members?
Do we hold auditions periodically, or set up an audition only when someone expresses interest?
Using year-round registration, your membership fees will require a different structure than seasonal groups. Creating a single entrance fee, or a recurring membership subscription (i.e. monthly or annually) are both good options for these kinds of groups.
Who is being registered? Renewals vs. New Members
Now we come back to the question: how many of your members return year after year?
**NOTE: Studies indicate that retention is the key to growth, no matter what type of organization or group you run. Acquiring new members costs UP TO FIVE TIMES MORE than keeping the ones you already have, and research shows that increasing retention rates by 5% can increase your overall budget by as much as 25%. For more information on retention, see our blog WHY RETENTION IS THE KEY TO GROWTH.
If the majority of your registration is for previous or existing members you can streamline your process for renewals. You likely don’t need to hold auditions, or collect brand new registration forms, or orient returning members to your choir management software (or calendar and communication tools).
A good renewal process allows members to:
Update data that is out of date (phone/address, emergency contact etc.)
Pay dues and
Access the information they need (schedule, what to bring, and perhaps what music you’re working on).
Ideally these processes should be easy and automated, but they can be done manually, with a few extra steps and some administrative labor.
Things to avoid:
Systems that require you to update membership information by hand, sometimes in multiple places (this spreadsheet/that google group/this attendance list/that mailing list). We call this the *spreadsheet shuffle* and it’s the error-prone, time consuming downfall of so many otherwise amazing choir managers.
Confusing payment processes. Make it easy for people to pay you, you don’t want the process of choir dues to be a burden.
Treating returning members the same as new members. You know them, acknowledge this. Returning members should not need to fill out new registration forms every time they come back, so find a system that allows them to update their info, without repeating a process they’ve already done.
New Member Registration
When registering new members, the first step is to outline your requirements and goals; Is your choir auditioned, or open to all? Do you have a specific (or limited) number of spots to fill?
A great registration process allows new members to:
Engage with your group before they are a full member
Schedule an audition (if necessary)
Fill out and submit registration forms
Pay dues and
Access the information they need (schedule, what to bring, and perhaps what music you’re working on) before the first rehearsal.
Things to avoid:
Systems that require you to input member information by hand, especially in multiple places (this spreadsheet/that google group/this attendance list/that mailing list). We call this the *spreadsheet shuffle* and it’s the downfall of so many otherwise amazing choir managers.
A hands off approach - engage with new & potential members, make them feel excited about joining your group.
Unclear instructions - at any point!
Complicated payment processes/limited payment options. Make it easy for people to pay you, you don’t want the process of choir dues to be a burden.
Automating Auditions
Remember, for most people, the applicant/audition process is their first real experience interacting with you, and it will influence their overall impression of your group. A streamlined process for onboarding new members is the start of a healthy, long term relationship with your organization.
If you hold seasonal auditions, you’ll benefit from using a tool that will allow you to create time slots. There are free and paid management platforms (including Choir Genius) that have time slot capabilities. Look for something that is self serve - meaning auditionees can schedule their time slot instead of requiring you to do it for them - and collects data at the same time. You might want to know how much choral experience each applicant has, what their voice type is, what school they go to etc.
Communication is key. Rule #1 of event planning: make the information so obvious it’s impossible to miss. While we know it isn’t always possible, you can’t ensure everyone understands 100% of the time, it’s important to strive for simplicity and clarity in all your instructions - especially when it comes to auditions. Clear communication sets them (and you) up for success.
What to communicate before auditions:
Location - include a link to google maps, and specific instructions where possible (i.e. room #, parking details, etc.)
Time slot *send reminders!!!
What to expect. Relieve some of their anxiety by giving them a clear picture of what the process looks like. “This volunteer will greet you, please check in on arrival, these people will be in attendance, wait in the lobby until your name is called”.
Required or suggested repertoire (optional).
Your organizational mandate, who are you and what do you care about?
How they can engage with you going forward, whether or not they get in. This is a great place to talk about volunteer opportunities, and other ways they can support you.
Every choir applicant is a potential singer, donor, volunteer, patron and brand ambassador. Don’t miss out on an amazing volunteer just because you turned them away as a singer. Instead, consider the ways in which a potential member might engage with you during the ‘applicant’ phase. Can they attend an open house rehearsal and get a feel for your community? Can they watch videos of recent performances online? Can they login to the member portal, with limited permissions, and check out how your system works?
The more engaged they are throughout this process, and the better impression you create, the more likely they are to stick around after their audition even if they don’t get in.
Another thing to consider: Send or offer feedback post audition. We all know that we can’t always get the role, solo or part that we want. There are a myriad of reasons someone might be ‘denied’. Consider sending gentle and encouraging feedback after the audition, regardless of success.
Registration for children’s choirs
We could write a whole blog just about this! If you run a children’s or youth choral organization, you know that registration can get really complicated, really fast! You’re probably dealing with dozens, if not hundreds of kids and their families, and you need to organize them all.
Registration for children’s choirs is two-fold, because you need to collect information about the child and about the child’s parents.
What if a family has multiple children, and wants to register in multiple programs that run concurrently. What if the child comes from a split household, how do you accommodate multiple home addresses, and multiple guardians?
You need to identify a secure, streamlined way to process and organize all this information, process payments and keep everyone up-to-date and informed.
Collecting Member Information
Registration Forms: the basics
Online is the way to go. If you haven’t already switched from paper to electronic forms, there’s no time like the present! Whether it’s a free form builder like jotform, google forms, or sign up genius, or an all in one solution like ours - there are tons of tools that allow you to customize forms, and collect data.
Start with the essentials and build out from there. The essentials include name & contact info, voice type, emergency medical - what other information do you want or need to collect? What information will help you create the best experience for your choristers? i.e. birthday, pronouns, school/grade, volunteer experience, other useful skills
Keep it simple. You don’t want to create barriers for people who want to register. The longer your document is, the longer it takes to fill out, the more likely it is that people will put it off or even forget. Try to limit registration forms to approximately one page, and make it easy to complete.
Where does the information go once it’s collected?
You are responsible for keeping your member’s data safe and private, keep this in mind and make sure you have security measures in place.
If you’re still using spreadsheets, are the documents shared? When it comes to sharing files, less is more. Be deliberate when choosing who should have access to things like contact info and emergency medical information, the more people with access, the more potential for errors and data leaks.
Look for a membership management database that provides the security you need. You might have to pay a small monthly fee, but it’s worth it if it meets your needs, makes your job easier and you can trust that your data is safe.
Things to avoid?
Giving too many people access to your data
Member management software with shared networks - higher potential for data leaks
The “spreadsheet shuffle” (the name might be cute, but the mistakes it can cause are not!)
Collecting and storing more information than you need. For example, storing medical data is a liability issue. What do you need to know?
There are so many steps to a successful registration process, and even a guide like this can’t possibly cover them all. We’d love to hear from you, what pieces of the process would you like to see outlined further? What tools and systems have you used to great success?
Tell us in the comments below!
And, of course, for more information about how Choir Genius supports the registration process check out Choir Genius Solutions
