Marathon Band Rehearsal: Generate Funds, Provide Opportunity

Every music program does some type of fundraising to raise money for special performances, local and distance trips, scholarships, special events. Many fundraising efforts include selling something or providing a service, but few have a musical or educational component. A Marathon Band (or chorus or orchestra) Rehearsal can do both – generate funds for those special needs and provide a musical and educational opportunity for students. It just takes some planning, some asking and a day in your music room. Plan your marathon for eight hours, starting at the same time your normal school day starts. That will give students who have a conflict the opportunity to participate at some point.

Select a day when the vast majority of your musicians will be available for all or a significant portion of the day. Advertise your event – a day-long rehearsal by your group to raise money for your special project. Share that the rehearsal will give your students the chance to perform a broad spectrum of pieces as well as try different parts and possibly different instruments. Create a Google Form where parents, supporters, faculty, staff and businesses can sign up to support a student and donate a dollar amount per each hour that they participate. Create a flyer for your students to distribute to their contacts with a space for their name and the link to the form (which can be shared on any appropriate website as well). Use the form’s analysis to share that info with students to encourage them.

Solicit some donations of snacks, food and a meal or two from area businesses or your school food service or from your booster/ parents group. Have a schedule of how that food will get to the school, when it will be available for the students, and any consumables needed (plates, forks, napkins). Make sure to have an extra trash can or two available.

The day before the marathon rehearsal, make sure your librarians (and helpers) have your music library organized. Pull out enough pieces for each of the hours of your marathon. This is the chance for you to try some of those pieces you never get a chance to program; ones that are too hard, too long, too easy, too odd. Mix up the pieces in each hour so that every section has a chance to shine.

And then distribute the first hour and rehearse: Start the day with the group you have (even if missing a part or two) and rehearse starting at the top of the hour for 50 minutes. Collect each piece after you perform it. Take a 10-minute break for students to rest, hydrate and eat, while the librarians get out the next hour. Use a Google Sheet to track how participated each hour by having it displayed on a laptop or smart board in the room and have students check their names off. Some students will stay for the whole day while others will start and then depart or show up later.

On some of the easier pieces, have some students conduct the group after a quick beat pattern lesson. Some students can play other instrument parts on their instrument where the pitch matches (clarinets – trumpets; tenor sax –baritone TC for example). Have one student play a percussion part on each piece. It’s amazing how they will come to appreciate their fellow musicians more.

Once done, distribute the Google Sheet with the student hours to each student along with the list of their supporters and ask them to collect those funds. And when doing so, ask them to share how much fun the event was, how they learned about composers and pieces, what songs they liked and disliked, with their supporters. Share any photos you might have taken through your email list or website and promote the next year’s marathon. The first year will be challenging to get students to participate and supporters to donate, but after that, both will look forward to your annual Marathon Band Rehearsal.

Steffen Parker is a retired music educator, event organizer, maple sugar maker, and Information Technology specialist from Vermont who serves as the Performing Arts/Technology representative on the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee. He received the NFHS Citation Award in 2017 and the Ellen McCulloch- Lovell Award in Arts Education in 2021.