How To Make A Christmas Fundraising Cd

Transcription

1 Christmas Fundraising CD by Denise Gagne The best fundraiser that I ve ever done was to make school Christmas CDs. We recorded each class singing one song, compiled it onto a CD and sold it to parents for $15. It was a great gift for grandparents --- many parents bought 3 CDs so they could keep one and give 2 as gifts. I still have parents who tell me that they listen to this CD (and the tapes before them) each Christmas --- and the first one that I recorded was more than 15 years ago. Step 1: Choose songs for which you don t need to pay a royalty Many of the Christmas Concert selections that are published by Themes & Variations are original songs by Denise Gagne or Craig Cassils. Themes & Variations gives schools permission to use these songs, AND the accompaniment tracks if they wish, for fundraisers, without asking for any money. You do need to send a list of tracks, so we can check that we are giving permission only for songs we actually own all the rights to. We also ask that the school sends us a copy of the finished CD. We are also generous about allowing schools to make DVDs of performances without paying royalties. Step 2: Paperwork: Choose a manufacturer, and download and fill out the paperwork needed. Google CD duplication and many options come up. Some have online quotes - very fast to get your prices. I found packages for 1000 CDs for $ that include a four page inserts, jewel cases, printing, CD replication If you need letters of permission from publishers, asap. Wow! Prices for smaller quantities have really come down in recent years, so if you can only sell 300 CDs it won t cost you very much extra per CD. You need to fill out anti-piracy forms to manufacture a CD. Ask the manufacturer

2 how many days turnaround time they need to get you finished CDs. That gives you the last possible date that you can record the students and still get your CDs back in time to give out to the students before Christmas break. Allow yourself at least an extra week. Manufacturing cost is very dependant on how much print material you insert. At the most, include just a CD cover and on the inside list the classes and songs they perform. If you include more than one page, the cost jumps by a lot. One year, I photocopied CD labels with just the title, and had the kids decorate them themselves. Each parent got a CD decorated by a child in the school. Bulk CDs might be as inexpensive as $750 for CDs with print materials cost more - $1500 for 1000 Step 2: Get quotes from recording companies in your area. Choose best engineer for the $. (not necessarily the least expensive) Meet with engineer, and give him/her accompaniment tracks. My engineer uses a DAT recorder for on-location recording. We get a cleaner performance by having the accompaniment tracks pre-loaded. He plays the accompaniment tracks for the kids to sing with through monitor speakers, and then records the voices. If the engineer has accompaniment tracks in advance it will save time. My engineer found this the best way. Discuss this with your engineer and listen to his suggestions. Step 3: Schedule the day for recording with the engineer, ALL the teacher s in the school, the admin, the nurse - whoever sees kids. Book the recording engineer. Book yourself a sub for that day. Allow 20 minutes per group. Give teacher s a copy of the schedule early, and give them another copy of the schedule the day before the session. Try to do this before the end of November - it s weird practicing Christmas music in November, but you need the extra time to get the CD manufactured. Step 4: REHEARSE, REHEARSE, REHEARSE - remember - it s not practice that makes perfect---it s perfect practice that makes perfect. Make a home-made test recording of the class using a hand-held recorder,

3 or do it with Audacity on your computer. Let the class hear what they sound like, and ask them what they think could be improved. If the class is well rehearsed, the recording will be a breeze. You also have to accept that some classes may never be perfectly in tune - be realistic about what you can accomplish in the time you have. Your students will sound real when they are recorded. Step 5: Design the print material to go into your CD. Remember - the more print, the greater the cost. Just list your classes, track numbers, the name of the song. Don t go into detail! One page max for most cost effectiveness. Step 5: Record We ran the recording session much like school picture day. Regular music classes were cancelled for the day. If you have to, book a sub to go to the classes that you are supposed to teach, because you ll be needed in the recording session. The class came in to the music room, we had accompaniment tracks ready to roll, and recorded. We didn t do more than 3 takes. Usually the 2nd take is going to be the best. After the 3rd, you re wasting your time. You have to have your groups well-rehearsed BEFORE the recording session. It s really expensive to do the rehearsal in the session. Some other hints: - Parents love to hear their child singing alone. One year we recorded the K classes doing the cookie jar chant, with a word substitution. All those parents have a priceless recording of their own child s voice. class: Zoom zoom zoom. My heart goes kaboom, now who stole the cookie from Santa s plate? stole the cookie from Santa s plate! solo: Who me? class: Yes, you! solo: Couldn t be! class: Then who? In Christmas Favorites, the song Jolly Santa has opportunities for 8 solos. This is

4 also very cute in performance or on CD. Step 6: Work with engineer on edits. You need to hear the tracks and decide which is the best track. You should have an idea before you start of what order you d like the CD to be in. Then it s fairly straightforward to compile your CD. Step 7: Take orders for the CD from students. Get the order form out before you record! Order the number of CDs you have presold, plus about 25% extra for parents who didn t pre-order. Sell the extra CDs at your holiday concert. Cost of Project: Purchase of Christmas music with rights $ Recording Engineer $ (cost varies! get quotes) CD duplication cost $1.50 / CD with print $1500 Total Cost: $2300 Sales: Sell 1000 CDs at $15 $15,000 or Sell 1000 CDs at $10 $10,000 Consider offering 1 CD $15, 2 CDs $24, 3 CDs $30 It s most economical to produce 1000 CDs, so selling more is better. Total raised: $12,700 or $7700 Christmas Concert Idea Book 1. Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year 2. Makin Christmas Cookies 3. Time to Pack the Sleigh 4. Santa s Computer 5. Christmas Spirit

5 6. Presents 7. The Road to Bethlehem 8. Little Star 9. Glory to God in the Highest 10. The Colors of Christmas 11. Christmas Time is Here 12. Shine a Light for Peace K-3 Christmas Concert Idea Book 1. Christmas Counting 2. The Christmas ABC s: 3. Please Santa, Give Me A Break 4. The Elves & The Shoemakers 5. The Christmas Turkey Dance 6. No Cookies For Santa 7. The Bells on the Sleigh 8. Ring, Ring, Ring the Bells 9. One Little, Two Little, Three Little Snowflakes 10. If you can t Wait for Christmas clap your hands! 11. He ll be coming down the Chimney when he comes 12. And SANTA is his name 13. Santa s Coming 14. Up on a House-top 15. Ribbon Dance 16. Christmas Finger plays - 6 poems with actions for K Jingle Bells - Song, Dance and Game 18. Jolly Old St Nicholas 19. The Friendly Beasts 20. The Christmas Story 21. We Wish You a Merry Christmas Happy Holidays (new - great 2 part collection) 1. Happy Holiday 2. A Christmas Wish

6 3. Christmas in the Air 4. Jolly Jingle 5. Silent Night/Still, Still, Still 6. O Come Little Children 7. Holidays Are Here Is Santa Smarter (new musical) 1. Christmas is a Time to Sing 2. Elvis the Elf 3. Christmas Tree Tango 4. Teddy Bear Twist 5. Christmas in Hawaii 6. Snowman Stomp 7. S-A-N-T-A 8. Christmas Time is Here Kinder Christmas Collection except Rudolph 1. Feliz Navidad 2. Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer - CANNOT use 3. Reindeer Love to Boogie 4. There Was a Little Baby 5. Tap, Tap, Tap 6. Let s Be Jolly 7. Christmas ABC (American) 7. Christmas ABC (Canadian) 8. Gingerbread 9. Teddy Bear Twist 10. I Hear the Bells 11. Ten Little Angels 12. Christmas Dance 13. Rock Around the Christmas Tree 14. Play the Bells to Celebrate

7 Christmas Favorites Jolly Jolly Santa Christmas Candles Christmas at the Hop Follow the Star What Child is This? Starry Night (partner song with Silent Night) Christmas Traditionals Vol I Heard The Bells 2. Good King Wenceslas 3. Huron Carol 4. The Twelve Days of Christmas 5. Pat-a-pan 6. O Holy Night 7. I Saw Three Ships 8. O Come All Ye Faithful 9. The First Noel 10. We Three Kings Christmas Traditionals Vol. 2 Survival Santa Slapshot Santa Scores Again Best Gift Ever Santa s Online Adventure Christmas Traditionals Vol Deck the Halls 2. Up on the Housetop 3. Jingle Bells 4. Go Tell It on the Mountain 5. O Little Town of Bethlehem 6. Away in a Manger 7. What Child Is This? 8. Silent Night last 7 songs - first 5 are copyright

8 9. Joy to the World 10. We Wish You a Merry Christmas Best Gift Ever Give Us a Gift New Teeth for Christmas Love my Slippers Rocks for Christmas Why Can t they See? Christmas Spice Christmas Wrap Rap Christmas Shopping Blues The Greatest Gift of All Survival Santa All songs 1 Reindeer Love to Boogie - piano accompaniment 17 #2 Fill My Stocking - piano accompaniment 18 #3 I am a Candy Cane Kid - piano/vocal 21 #4 Santa is a Real, Cool, Guy - piano/vocal 24 #5 Snowy Day - piano/vocal 27 #6 Snowboardin Santa - piano/vocal 29 #7 Friends - piano/vocal 31 #6 We Wish You a Merry Christmas - piano/vocal 33 Santa s Online Adventure Danish Dance of Greeting Jingle Bells O Christmas Tree Away in a Manger Jolly Old St. Nicholas Bagpiper s Carol -CANNOT be used Jesus the Newborn Baby Open These Doors (Posada Song) but Bagpipers Carol

9 Enter Pilgrims The Pinata Song (Dale Dale Dale) La Raspa Dragon Dance Rainbow Colour Ribbon Dance My Candles The Hora (optional) O Hanukkah Here We Come A-Wassailing Deck the Halls Hallelujah Chorus We Wish You a Merry Christmas Slapshot Santa Scores Again 1. Toys, toys a Million Toys 2. Santa s Going Skating 3. The Elves Production Line Rap 4. Without Dreams How Will Wishes Come True? 5. Workout Song 6. No Toys For Christmas 7. Please Mr. Santa 8. Slapshot Santa Scores Again 9. Poor Santa 10. It s The Merriest Holiday Holiday Songs for Recorder * note - first accompaniment track is for practice, the second is faster for performance Song # scd perfomance track: accomaniment slow/faster 1. Jolly Old St. Nicholas 1 15/16 2. Jingle Bells 2 17/18 3. Joy to the World 3 19/20

10 4. Silent Night 4 21/22 5. Joseph Dearest 5 23/24 6. O Come Little Children 6 25/26 7. Jesus Our Brother 7 27/28 8. African Noel 8 29/30 9. Hanukkah Song 9 31/ Christmas Chopsticks 10 33/ Over the River and Through the Woods 11 35/ Away in a Manger 12 37/ Good King Wenceslas 13 39/ We Wish You A Merry Christmas 14 41/42 Songs for Christmas by Craig Cassils 1-2 Sing a Little Christmas Song In the Bleak Midwinter The Colours of Christmas A Star is Out Tonight Come to Bethlehem What a Wonderful Moment is Christmas The Language of the Season 27