Guide for Newcomers

Getting Started

Welcome to Meantime Chorus, we’re so glad you’ve joined. Congratulations on passing your audition!  Ahead of you is a world of singing, learning and community. 

Through experience we know that the first month or two can be the most daunting, so we have written a practical guide to settling in. We are all here to help, if you're lost just ask.

Vital First Steps

1. Show up to rehearsals.  Get involved. Say hello to someone you don’t know. Sing a tag. Come along to the post-rehearsal social. Enjoy developing your voice to be the best it can be, while making great friends along the way. 

2. Get your subs set up. This chorus runs on the contributions of its members. From the weekly rehearsal venue to subsiding international flights for competitions and supporting members who are struggling with finances, paying our monthly membership is fundamental in making Meantime happen. Please pay if you can. That being said, we never want money to be a barrier to involvement - if you ever find paying subs is a problem, speak to our Finance Director for help. 

3. Start learning music. We know that a completely new repertoire can be intimidating to new members. Don't stress yourself, you won’t be perfect. We certainly weren't! However, getting  a good grasp on the music will be the single biggest investment you’ll make in feeling part of the chorus. Ask your section leader for recommendations for what to learn first. Then check out the ‘learning music’ section for further guidance.

4. Familiarise yourself with Slack. This is the messaging app for almost all chorus communications, from vital rehearsal and performance information to social events. Although slack can take a little getting used to, it is the hub of the chorus. There’s more information below.

5. Familiarise yourself with Harmony Site. Here you’ll find sheet music and events information. We use this for planning events, so telling us your availability is one of the most helpful things you can do. (While there are other resources such as the google drive,  at first we recommend just getting set-up on the above.) 

6. Use this handbook. We are building this document into a comprehensive guide for all things Meantime. Read it pre-emptively or when you're uncertain about something. 

7. Check the action board regularly. This is where all to-do items are added, as well as a handy central location for important administrative links.

Communications 

We communicate in a number of different ways here at Meantime,  with Slack and Harmony Site being the two most important. Here's a brief overview of them:

Slack

What is Slack?

Slack is a collaborated messaging app designed for groups such as Meantime. On the app you can message individuals and groups, split into multiple threads and topics. We use it because it's the best compromise for the many different communication needs of our members. Download the app to your phone through your phone's respective app store. You can also access slack through your web browser. Here's a short explainer. 

How do I use it?

Once downloaded and set-up, Slack becomes intuitive with use. There is an extensive help centre where you can go to to find out more, but please remember these golden rules

• Please try and check Slack regularly - there may be something that pops up that you don't want to miss.

• When responding to something, always use the reply in thread  feature - it prevents unnecessary bloat of information in the channels

• Be decent, kind and honest. Your comments are semi-public, and human beings are on the receiving end of every message.

What Channels should I join?

When you're added to the Slack, you should automatically be added to the following Channels. The names are designed to be self-explanatory.

• #announcements_from_music_team - Simon and the music team use this to make important accouncements. Members cannot post in the channel.

• #bass/#baritone/#lead/#tenor - This is your section conversation, join your respective part! These are used for general section-related conversation as well as important announcements.

• #chat - The main channel for chorus-related discussion that is too broad or general to not fit into a specific channel

• #committee_comms - Key announcements from members of the board

• #gigs - A channel where availability for gigs is determined. Please ensure that polls (normally via emojis) in this channel are swiftly answered

• #rehearsal - For general conversation relevant to rehearsals.

• #rehearsal_notes - Each week  the learning points are noted by a dedicated member of the chorus. Come here to remember what we learned each week.

• #shit_chat - A self-explanatory comedic channel. Have a peruse for some fun.

• #socials - A place for organising gatherings and fun.

• #useful_info - Where useful info is found

You can select ‘Browse Channels’ within the app or website to see all of the channels available - we've got everything from boardgames, to poker, to the monthly supper club, to event-specific Channels and some dedicated exclusively to memes. 

We appreciate that Slack can be overwhelming. Start in the channels in bold, then branch out to the other many chats when you know your way around.

Helpful Slack tips:

Slack has a 'Catch-up' function. This handy tool gives you your relevant updates and messages since you last logged in. You can reply from this, and mark as 'read' or 'unread'.

If you find a particular channel helpful (for example your section channel or the 'useful info' channel) you can 'star' the channel. Press and hold the chat on your device and click 'star'. You can also mute channels through the same process if you find them less useful. 

Slack home can be filtered by recent activity and by sections. If you filter by recent activity, channels will be ranked in order of the most recent posts; this will, in general, keep the most-used chats towards the top of the list. If you filter by sections, starred channels will be shown first, followed by the rest of the channels in alphabetical order. 

Slack is apparently an acronym for 'Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge'.

Harmony Site

What is HarmonySite?

HarmonySite is the administrative centre of Meantime. We mostly use it for logging attendance, completing assessments and storing music resources.

When you join the chorus you will be sent your login details.  Click here to go to the members section. You can also access it through the Meantime website.

Once logged in you will see a few blocks of links: 

These are set up to make things easier for you - attendance and assessments are immediately visible.

"Members options"

These are grey boxes to access all of the sections of HarmonySite. The Key links you will use most are: Active songs, Event calendar, Assessments, and Riser stacks (once you have been given a place to stand). The 'Suggestion Box' is useful to send named or anonymous messages to the committee about your concerns and thoughts.

"Events - My attendance/Availability"

The attendance required for this month's events. Please update your attendances as soon as you know. This vital for people organising rehearsals and events

"My assessments"

Simply click on 'submit recording' to be taken to each song's assessment page. For more information on assessments please see the 'Learning and Development' page.