As you read this, it might be your first week of school, you’ve already been in school for a few weeks or you still have a few weeks left of summer break! Regardless, many of you are still active and busy with your school planning and rehearsals even before the rest of the school year begins. On top of all that, you might be juggling rosters, repertoire and the first concert date for all your groups. Whatever your situation, here’s a quick, planning-friendly version of why Heart of America is worth locking into your calendar now.
1) Travel-Smart Value in Great Cities
What HOA does: Full-day educational championships held in vibrant, walkable resort destinations in Nashville and Orlando!
Why this helps as school begins: Easier and faster approval processes for administrators, more transparent budgets and increased parent support.
“How-To” Plan: Create a simple cost snapshot covering bus, hotel, and HOA expenses, along with two to three educational tie-ins such as clinic takeaways, adjudication standards, cultural experiences or national championships.
2) Divisions That Fit Your Ensemble (THIS Year’s Ensemble)
What HOA does: Multiple divisions, levels, and formats for show choir, concert choir, vocal jazz/a cappella and concert choir, meeting students where they are.
Why this helps as school starts: Set challenging yet realistic, motivating goals for this group of students this year.
“How-To” Plan: Identify the division that best suits your choir to support growth, then plan your rehearsals and classes with the corresponding level of skill points, such as sight-reading targets, choreography complexity and memorization checkpoints.
3) Big-Stage Production That Serves the Music
What HOA does: Just like a touring production, we bring in top professional crews for sound, lights, staging, and livestreams who understand choral music and the student experience.
Why this helps as school starts: You can plan your program, show, costumes, props and sets with confidence.
“How-To” Plan: Program exciting musical and visual choices. Make it challenging for students and something they can work toward to achieve a “professional” experience in preparation for an incredible event.
4) Smooth, Student-Centered Logistics
What HOA does: A “One Stop Shop” concept with walkable venues and food options. Students stay close to the performance space. Not to mention, tailored performance slots that lead to schedules that run ON TIME.
Why this helps as school starts: Fewer logistical hurdles, simpler explanations to administrators for approvals and easier parent communication.
“How-To” Plan: Let us help you create a “one-page day-of flow” for your trip pitch (call times, warm-up, performances, meals, awards — all in one plan)!
5) Feedback You Can Use
What HOA does: We assemble nationally recognized, diverse professional adjudication panels equipped with clear rubrics and detailed written and audio feedback.
Why this helps as school starts: It provides another educational reason to justify the trip to parents and administrators. Choose repertoire at this time of year that will support the student improvements you are aiming for as you prepare for our event.
“How-To” Plan: Select your target event, align repertoire and creative choices with student development goals, and use our student rubrics as benchmarks leading up to the event.
What to do next?
Knock out a 30-Minute “Planning Sprint”
(You can even do this during a prep period)
- Register on our website.
- Choose your division. (Fit this year’s choir, not last year’s.)
- Set three milestones prior to the event:
- Know your ensembles’ strengths and program them into their performance
- Collaborate with a tour operator to take the trip specifics off your “plate”
- Identify key stakeholders (community members, parents) and get them in your corner. If your community is behind you, you’ve already won!
- Share an “Elevator Speech” or 30-second parent/admin blurb: Share educational goals, safety/logistics basics, a rough budget, and any or all of the top five above!
- Hold a 10-minute student kickoff: “We’re going to an HOA Championship this year, here’s what we plan to accomplish and here’s how we’ll get there.”
Let us help!
Visit hoachoir.com or email us and tell us about your program!