What does coaching cost?
I've been coaching choirs for well over 30 years and I've charged different fees at different times of my coaching life. The fee structure I've found the most fair is a simple one: "As a singer, what do you think my coaching is worth?" Other than asking for expenses (see below), I do not ask for a coaching fee.
Instead of charging some sort of flat-fee or per-singer fee, I ask your singers to personally and individually evaluate the work I do for your choir and ask them to pay me what they believe the work is worth. They do this by deposting their payment into a sealed box I bring to the rehearsal. I've found this to be a fair way to "charge" since my "pay" is based on results as perceived by each individual singer. Furthermore, this also makes it easier for smaller groups to get coaching, too, as the money collected from larger groups helps to subsidize smaller groups.
Expenses
I base my mileage expenses using the IRS Federal Standard for mileage reimbursement which is put out in December of each year. The amount set in December of 2022 was 65.5 cents per mile. For 2023, therefore, I am charging 50 cents per round-trip mile (which is roughly 75% of the Federal Standard). To determine your mileage cost, I turn on my GPS when I leave my home and show you the mileage when I arrive at your rehearsal venue. Your mileage cost is two times the mileage to your venue, times 50 cents per mile.
In addition, I do require overnight lodging for choirs that are located more than a 1.5-hour drive from my home. This is only required if the coaching session ends after 10:00 PM. If you have me come for a session on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, there is no lodging cost unless my driving time is more than 3 hours each way. If the drive is more than 3 hours, I do require overnight lodging as I do not want to risk driving when I am too tired.
Therefore, my mileage expenses and lodging costs (where applicable) for all choirs are as follows:
Mileage Expenses
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A choir located less than 10 miles from my home - no charge
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A choir located 10 miles from my home - $10 (50 cents per round-trip mile)
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A choir located 20 miles from my home - $20 (50 cents per round-trip mile)
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A choir located 50 miles from my home - $50 (50 cents per round-trip mile)
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A choir located 100 miles from my home - $100 (50 cents per round-trip miler)
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Etc.
Lodging Costs
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Lodging is required for choirs located more than a 1.5-hour drive from my home, if the coaching session ends after 10:00 PM
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If the session is on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, there is no lodging cost unless my drive home is 3 hours or more from your venue
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Lodging costs are paid directly by the choir at a local motel, bed-and-breakfast, Airbnb, or other agreed-upon location
If you have more questions on fees and expenses payments, please call, text, or email me from the Contact section of my Home page (located at the bottom of the page). Thanks!
Let's move on to the important stuff!
How does coaching work?
Before beginning an education and coaching program, each group must assess its abilities in each of the four areas of choral singing. As noted on my Home page, these are Vocal Techniques, Musicianship, Stage Presence, and Choreography (optional). While most conductor/directors are able to sit back and evaluate their groups quite competently, the outside eyes and ears of a choral coach are often able to see and hear things that the conductor/director might otherwise miss. Therefore, when a group decides it is ready to launch an education program, I recommend that the group invite me in to conduct a free Assessment Session. (Other than my travel expenses, there is no charge for the Assessment Session.)
In the Assessment Session, I will: 1) listen to your group perform two or three songs of contrasting styles, and 2) provide suggestions for developing and implementing a long-term improvement program. Most importantly, through some basic exercises I will show immediate results to the group, and generally will provide the desire within each singer to see the group develop a long-term education plan.
Naturally, as each group's needs are different, no two groups will require the same amount of work in any one area as another group within that same area. Naturally, too, groups with more highly advanced singers may progress at a more rapid rate, but that should not discourage less advanced groups. Coaching will show improvement in groups of every level, and all groups will greatly benefit from ongoing coaching.
Since each of the four areas in the education plan builds on the others, I generally begin by introducing the basics of good singing in the initial Vocal Techniques sessions. As the choir improves its singing ability, I begin to introduce other aspects of the vocal craft, which brings about improvement in overall Musicianship. Additionally throughout the plan, work on Stage Presence and Choreography (if desired) are also on-going, with the result being sustained – and consistent – growth.
Improvement is also dependent on the degree of difficulty of the music a group is attempting to master. Those working on very difficult or complex music will find that improvement may be slower than those singing "lighter" or easier music. All musical styles will benefit from coaching, but groups should be realistic in their expectations, based on 1) the ability of the group, and 2) the difficulty of the material your group sings.
Once a group has made the decision to explore an education plan and choral coaching, I recommend promptly scheduling the Assessment Session. Following the Assessment Session, I will provide a comprehensive outline of recommendations detailing the steps I suggest your group should follow to achieve its desired improvement. I will meet with your conductor/director and/or the leadership team of your group to discuss my recommendations and, after allowing a week or so for your group to digest these, I will help you craft an action plan.
The end result is a team approach towards improving your choir. We all – individual singers, conductor/director, leadership team, and me – work together to build your group into the best singing ensemble possible. By working as a team, I help you achieve your goals, so you can have a whole lot more fun singing together. Click here for further information and details about coaching and how it works.
Let's face it … it's a lot more fun to sing and perform well. Contact me using the phone number or email address at the bottom of my Home page and let's work out a plan for your group.
Comments & References
"I am pleased to recommend Patrick as a choral coach and teacher. I have known Patrick since 1990 when, in my capacity as Director of Music Education and Services for the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), I hired him to work in our music department. Patrick served in many roles under my supervision, including Staff Liaison to the World Harmony Council, Music Specialist, and Membership Specialist. He is an outstanding vocal coach and teacher and worked with barbershop groups in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Germany, and Great Britain. He also spent over a decade working with choral groups in Israel through SingIsrael."
– Mel Knight, Director of Music Education and Services (Retired), BHS
"Patrick and I began working together on the World Harmony Council in the early 1990s. He is an outstanding teacher and musical coach and I am aware of his wonderful teaching and coaching in the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, and Israel. I highly recommend Patrick's work."
– Peter May, Past President, World Harmony Council
"We of the Irish Association of Barbershop Singers are very familiar with Patrick's expertise as a vocal coach and teacher. We were pleased to award him Honorary Life Membership in the Association in 1999 for his work and commitment to IABS. He is an excellent musical coach and teacher who has taught at most of our workshops and Harmony Colleges."
– Eithne Mooney, IABS Past Chairperson
"As chairman of MILA (Israeli Center for Choruses and Singing Groups) I have seen how working with Patrick has assisted choruses such as the 12 Tones. As a result of their work with Patrick, 12 Tones has twice won first place in our Sulam MILA competition and won fourth place in their first international competition. The methods employed by Patrick have also assisted my own choirs and throughout his time in Israel I worked to have dozens more Israeli choirs benefit from these services."
– Doron Shenkar, Chairman, MILA
"Patrick's workshops are interesting, thrilling and very successful for the choir and conductor/director alike. We all feel that a lot of material has been internalized in a very short time, and that the new techniques will remain with us for good. They are now being employed whenever we sing – in concerts and in rehearsals."
– Boaz Kabilio, Musician and Choir Conductor
"Another service Patrick offers is a Concert Evaluation. This provided us with a deep and encompassing critique about everything that took place during our concert, from both the musical and the stage performance viewpoints. There is no doubt in my mind that this report will greatly assist me and my choir in achieving new heights of artistic excellence."
– Tzvi Sherf, Musician and Choir Conductor
"I conduct a classical choir so did not think that stage presence or choreography entered into our performance. How wrong I was! Patrick introduced simple concepts that really improved our concert performances. These made the concerts much more satisfying for our audiences – and – for our singers as well."
– Zoli Frank, Musician and Choir Conductor