Introducing...This Year's Chorus Shirt!

In "Spotlight on Music: Ways to Promote Your Music Program", I mentioned t-shirts as a great way to promote your music program.  While it is an extra effort in a busy teacher's schedule to collect money and orders for t-shirts, I feel it is well worth the effort.  The students love the colorful shirts they chose this year and wear them often.

Here is the process I use to obtain t-shirts for the chorus:

1. Contact the t-shirt business and ask them to develop three samples of designs for the students to choose from.
2. The students vote on their favorite shirt design and also vote on a color.  (This year multi-color tie dye won the vote!)
3. Distribute order forms listing choice of sizes and cost of the shirt, and also listing a deadline for the return of the order forms and money.
4. Collect order forms and money.
5. When orders are complete, and money is collected, submit order and payment to the t-shirt business.
6. When shirts arrive, distribute to the excited students!
7. Enjoy spotting our chorus t-shirts in class, in the halls of the school, and out in the community...and, of course, don't forget wearing them for performances!

Be ready for these issues:

1. Many students will miss the deadline, lose their order forms and need multiple copies of the order form, and will need many reminders about turning in their order forms and money.
2. Learn the return/remake policy of the t-shirt business, in case of shirts not fitting properly, or if students order the wrong size.
3. Some student's families may be in financial crisis and cannot afford the cost of the shirt.
   Ask your parent-teacher group if they will assist in covering the cost of the t-shirt for students in need.  If they cannot do this, ask permission of your principal to have a small easy fund raiser, such as a jean day for the staff to raise money to cover these shirts.