You can build your own Choir Snacks for free. It’s time-consuming, sure, but not impossible. Like building IKEA furniture without the instructions, the parts are all there—you just need to assemble them. Here’s how:

1. Hunt Down Repetitive Problems

What do you say to your choir every week? (Besides, “Please show up on time.”) Identify every instruction you repeat, every vocal issue. Write them all down. Repetition is your choir’s kryptonite, but it’s also your goldmine. Fixing the same problems over and over? Make that your primary target.

2. Go Asynchronous

Turn those repetitive problems into short, reusable resources. Offload your instructions onto tools that scale. Make your video resources fun, engaging, and snackable.

3. Cap It at 10 Minutes

Here’s the rule: total time, under 10 minutes. That includes clicking links, logging in, and any tech drama. Why? Because if it takes longer, they’ll quit. You’re not training opera soloists; you’re helping volunteers improve without burning out or walking out.

4. Map Out the Fundamentals

What skills do your singers actually need? Write out the vocal fundamentals (hint: breathing, pitch, resonance) and organize the pedagogy into a logical sequence. Build 5-minute daily trainings that progress step by step, with reinforcement, novelty, and practical exercises.

5. Leverage Sleep (No, Really)

The brain consolidates new skills overnight. Small, daily doses of training—followed by sleep—build permanent habits. It’s like sneaking vegetables into dinner. You don’t notice, but it works. Get your singers engaging daily, even if it’s minimal. 5 minutes a day builds skills much, much faster than 4 hours on a Saturday. (Doing even a moderately deep dive on the neuroscience behind learning will aid you greatly.)

6. Test and Improve

You’re going to mess up the first version. Good. And the second version. Also good. That means you’re trying. Watch what works, ask for feedback, and tweak. Iteration is the secret sauce. (Choir Snacks is a result of more than 10 years of continuous testing and learning on the pedagogy.) Your choir will get better over time, and so will the trainings.

7. Repeat Until Choir Transformation Occurs

Do this right, and you’ll end up with short, effective, reusable resources: snackable trainings that build skills over time. The choir improves. You stop repeating yourself.

Of course this is a win for you, as a director. But more importantly, it is a massive win for your volunteer singers.

If choir directors everywhere did this, volunteer singers would level up: fast.

Will you save time in the short run? Absolutely not. But you will create a choir-training system that runs itself—and maybe can even rival Choir Snacks.

Of course, if you’re not eager to reinvent the wheel, or just want a free sneak peek at how Choir Snacks does it—you know where to find us.

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