I am now in my fourth year of running BDRS courses - national and regional - and feel it is time to set out some of the lessons I think I have learned. There is plenty of action in setting up and running BDRS courses, for which we are always grateful for assistance; if, after reading these notes, you feel an urge to get into the thick of things, why not give us a ring?
Before any progress can be made with establishing a course, some careful thought goes into deciding whether it is appropriate to run one at all. National and other regional or local courses should be studied, and any areas of potential conflict avoided! There may be particular dates - or even times of year - to avoid in this respect, such as the time around the National BDRS Course. Consultation with the committee is essential. Decide on a location for the course. Preferably somewhere either local to you or where there is a concentration of BDRS members, to provide assistance and also to attend.
Venue - Finding a suitable venue is not easy. It must have a number of pianos, a recital hall, a large area for trade stands (all in one room and far enough away from the recital room so as not to disturb recitals but readily accessible), and of course the price must be right. If tables for Trade Stands are not available these will need to be hired. The venue should be accessible by public transport and have either catering facilities or at least somewhere where tea and coffee can be provided. It is most important to visit the venue before making any decision.
Date - In general school holidays should be avoided as should the GCSE and A Level exam period.
Artists - These need to be booked in very good time and in fact the date is usually fixed in conjunction with them. Usually a lead player for oboe and bassoon will be booked, perhaps from a Regional Orchestra or Opera Company. Other artists will be dependent on your planned day but could include reed-making tutors, workshop tutors, cor anglais/contrabasson specialist etc. You will also need at least one accompanist, probably two, for recitals and masterclasses.
Budget - this needs to be agreed with the Treasurer. The BDRS has fixed rates for artists and their travel expenses. Variable costs will be venue hire, printing and administration. You will need to set the entrance fees at a level that will cover the necessary expenses but remain attractive to participants. You should try to make a conservative estimate of the number of people you might expect and use this to produce the budget.
Publicity - Try to gain maximum benefit from the magazine. Start planning early and try to mention the Course in two issues. Leaflets can be printed and mailed by Mastaprint with the magazine. Make a careful note of copy dates - a separate mailing can be expensive. Once printed, the leaflets should be distributed to music shops that specialise in Double Reeds and also local shops. All music colleges should be mailed as should the music service of the local authority and local libraries. Local teachers, particularly if known to you should also be mailed and if possible telephoned and persuaded to bring along their pupils. Publicity shoudl be commenced as early as possible and the application form should appear in the magazine prior to the course.
Trade - All Traders who advertise in DRN, as well as others who may be interested, should be offered trade space. If space is limited it should be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Traders will need to know approximately how may participants are expected.
Progress - About six weeks before the course you will need to process the applications. Start a list of masterclass entries, and once all places have been allocated you will need a waiting list. Compare the number of applications received with that required to balance the budget: if under - get promoting; if over - do you need to book extra reed-makers etc?
Acknowledgements - These need to be mailed to traders and participants at least a month before the event. They should include a timetable, travel and catering details. Traders will also need to know where they can unload and how their tables will be allocated. When compiling the timetable try to have an oboe and bassoon activity running concurrently and avoid timetabling anything against the main recitals. It generally makes economic sense to use the same person for as many things as possible, such as reed-making and workshops.
The Day - It is a good idea to telephone the artists in the preceding week to finalise details. On the day you will need to arrive as early as possible to set up the trade stands, chairs etc. You will need plentiful supplies of sellotape and paper and a band of willing helpers to man the registration desk and put up signs. The first people to arrive will be the traders (some particularly early!). Hopefully things should go smoothly, but there is always the unexpected such as a lost artist or music. Don’t panic, though, if the worst should happen: it is your job to keep the show going, with perhaps some crafty last-minute rearrangement of the timetable and trade stands. There always seems to be a ready band of willing helpers around to guide the participants and shift the chairs!
Successfully running a course is a very satisfying achievement, and I can thoroughly recommend it: I hope that these few notes will help to remove any sense of mystery as to how so many things can come together on the day, and hopefully give pleasure to so many people. Good luck!
Double Reed News No.34, February 1996, p.15
JW, 30-Dec-1999