TromboneChat

So guys,
I've got a pretty big weekend-long event coming up for my church (this COMING weekend), and I'm planning the band for it. Unfortunately, the higher-ups waited until just over a week prior to the event before making any final decisions. I've got a sort of modular band with a couple of drummers, an occasional trumpetist, 2 saxes and myself on bone, plus a fast bassist and synth/keyboardist.

However, NOT everyone plays on EVERY song during the weekend, and the group changes in size pretty often. In fact, sometimes there are songs without horns and I'm requested to be there - even if it's just the rhythm section playing from a leadsheet.

What would be some good suggestions for how I can keep everyone informed on which pieces each individual is playing on, when rehearsal times will be and stuff? I've got a group in the app Telegram, as well as made a spreadsheet saying when everyone is playing and what pieces will be performed... we're using Dropbox links to get music sent out.

But people are coming directly to me asking for that same info, and I feel like what people need to know is still incomplete.

How do you guys handle this organization stuff? Especially when you're scrambling to get arrangements and leadsheets together at the last minute?

I use teamer.net to notify players for rehearsals and gigs.  It is easy for the players to accept or decline a notification of an event (using an app on phone / tablet makes it easier)
You would need to set up each time slot as a separate event and manually pick which of the players you want for each event, but the data comes back in a tidy, reliable and consistent format. You can set the system up to automatically send reminders. The app effectively gives each player a calendar of events complete with location map.

This week I had to plan a series of section rehearsals and extra band rehearsals for an amateur group. Lots of people have other activities on at potentially conflicting times so I set up 11 dummy events in time slots that worked for our venue and built the programme based on everybody's availability.

What this system avoids is the need for players to get on a computer, check their emails, maybe open a spreadsheet etc.

Good luck
Dave

Hi. Do you only play hymns or other music as well. Our church had regular afternoon sing-alongs and I got a set of books from Singspiration which have over 500 settings. The books come in sets. C, Bb, Eb, F, and Bass clef which can also be used for trombone Quartets. They have a very good selection of church music and they can be used for any combination of instruments. I did one gig once and the choir master gave me the copies of the music that the choir was singing and I scored it for the instruments that I had. When we started to play the choir choirmaster said. No no you are playing it too high. He said he wanted it down a third. I told him I had scored it from the music he had given me. He said what sort of a band have you got, My choir can sing it down a 3rd why can't your band play it down a 3rd. They sang that day without a band. I just used to use the old fashioned method of getting in touch with people using the phone and most instruments were covered by the books no matter what combination of instruments turned up. Hope this helps. Good luck Max.

Quote from: Max Croot on Sep 14, 2017, 06:10PMHi. Do you only play hymns or other music as well. Our church had regular afternoon sing-alongs and I got a set of books from Singspiration which have over 500 settings. The books come in sets. C, Bb, Eb, F, and Bass clef which can also be used for trombone Quartets. They have a very good selection of church music and they can be used for any combination of instruments. I did one gig once and the choir master gave me the copies of the music that the choir was singing and I scored it for the instruments that I had. When we started to play the choir choirmaster said. No no you are playing it too high. He said he wanted it down a third. I told him I had scored it from the music he had given me. He said what sort of a band have you got, My choir can sing it down a 3rd why can't your band play it down a 3rd. They sang that day without a band. I just used to use the old fashioned method of getting in touch with people using the phone and most instruments were covered by the books no matter what combination of instruments turned up. Hope this helps. Good luck Max.

This group is particular plays almost strictly jazz/pop tunes with arrangements. That does sound like a good method for arranging, Max - thing is though, this group is rather small and plays on a level where it's better to make use of each individual part, and I feel as if doubling parts would just remove, for example and opportunity to use another harmonic voice or something.
Good thoughts thus far, though!

Quote from: Max Croot on Sep 14, 2017, 06:10PMHi. Do you only play hymns or other music as well. Our church had regular afternoon sing-alongs and I got a set of books from Singspiration which have over 500 settings. The books come in sets. C, Bb, Eb, F, and Bass clef which can also be used for trombone Quartets. They have a very good selection of church music and they can be used for any combination of instruments. I did one gig once and the choir master gave me the copies of the music that the choir was singing and I scored it for the instruments that I had. When we started to play the choir choirmaster said. No no you are playing it too high. He said he wanted it down a third. I told him I had scored it from the music he had given me. He said what sort of a band have you got, My choir can sing it down a 3rd why can't your band play it down a 3rd. They sang that day without a band. I just used to use the old fashioned method of getting in touch with people using the phone and most instruments were covered by the books no matter what combination of instruments turned up. Hope this helps. Good luck Max.

This group is particular plays almost strictly jazz/pop tunes with arrangements. That does sound like a good method for arranging, Max - thing is though, this group is rather small and plays on a level where it's better to make use of each individual part, and I feel as if doubling parts would just remove, for example and opportunity to use another harmonic voice or something.
Good thoughts thus far, though!