Alex Gartner

The Business of Choir

A Choral Leader's Guide for Organizational Growth

GIA Publications, 2022

by Emily Williams Burch & Alex Gartner

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Choral leaders know that singing is a joyful act. It is life-giving, exciting, and inspirational! Yet oftentimes this joy is eclipsed by the tedious underbelly of a choral organization. From answering emails, completing endless paperwork, and the constant interface with parents, administrators, and community members, it's no wonder that a choral leader can often grow frustrated or even burnt out. Can the joy of singing return?

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The answer is YES! By tackling the business elements of leading a choral organization, the joy of singing is sure to return in full or even magnified! And that's exactly what you'll find in The Business of CHOIR, a choral leader's guide for organizational growth. Written in 2022 by Emily Williams Burch and Alex Gartner, two authors with extensive experience in building and expanding choral programs, The Business of CHOIR offers new insights, best practices, and practical action items for choral leaders looking to master the organizational and administrative elements of running a successful choral program.

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A quippy writing style makes reading through chapters on business topics easy, carefree, and fun. The book's 10 chapters are divided into 3 sections which begin with an interview with a leading choral practitioner. Covered topics include communicating value; fundraising; diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership; volunteer management; personnel management; recruitment and retention; marketing; finance; and evaluation.

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Whether you're a choral director, administrative leader, board member, or serve in a leadership role within a choral organization, The Business of CHOIR promises to help take your organization to the next level. Above all, it reveals the importance of tending to the business elements of choral organizations. With a solid organizational backbone, the musical possibilities are endless!