big concert day

[Boring post warning. Skip if you like.]


Nothing ventured, nothing gained. etc. That's what I'm telling myself.

But having these grand schemes 3 months out and actually bringing them to completion are different things.

I teach 95 year 5s. They are all performing tonight. All of them. In 20 different groups.  Plus band, choir and a whole year 5 song. We're charging admission, and selling food and drinks, and raffling off a cool set of mini bongos and very nice little ukulele. It would be good to raise $2000. I want the concert to be done in under 1.5hours. I may be dreaming.

I spent 2 hours yesterday getting the stage sorted and stringing up microphones (hiring sound equipment is my new hobby.) I then rehearsed 25 of the kids. Today I'm rehearsing the rest of the program. I have kids in charge of sound and stage management, Slideshow, poster making, props and gear, video recording... Here are some things that I've learnt.

• Don't give a drum to the kid who can't play anything else. Egg shakers are the best.
• Timing really matters. More than the notes. "If you miss a chord, don't go back and try to catch it up!" GRRRR!
• Overestimate the days required to rehearse the kids just before the performance. Adults can stick around and work into the night until everything is right. Kids can't. The school day is short and broken up with annoying breaks. The keen girls will happily work through all the breaks. Not so the boys or the girls who actually need to practice for longer.
• Draw up a rehearsal schedule, minute by minute detailing which groups will be on the stage when.
• Have very clear jobs for your helper kids to do or they will be annoying.
• Boys love running the sound desk.
• Choir mics are fabulous at picking up recorders and ukes.
• Don't put the kid misbeating the drum under a choir mic.
• Don't give my middle son the job of making the powerpoint. Lots of animations, not much content.
• Parents are probably more generous than me. I'm really worried about a few acts. Hoping the delusion factor gets us through.

I'll enjoy things tonight. That's what I keep on telling myself.