Praise for Groupanizer
Our previous web site did not offer this kind of organization....trying to move the dinosaur out of the ice ages..... I was worried that the guys would have trouble getting used to it, but it's like organization at my fingertips!
For groups who are skeptical......you need a couple of people willing to enter the information......give it a try for 60-90 days......watch the communication within your singing organization grow.
Before Groupanizer, we had two different sites - a Yahoo group for messages and a public site that was not easy to update. We wanted one place to handle everything with a public site that is easy to use - something we could do ourselves, whenever we wanted to make changes - with no waiting on someone else.
Groupanizer has everything we need - and all in one place. The public site is so easy to maintain that anyone can do it - even without a lot of computer experience. We can upload our learning tracks and music so members have 24/7 access. Our members can self-report their progress/attendance and our section leaders and director can see at a glance how everyone is doing. It's awesome.
Groupanizer also makes it very easy for us to keep in touch with our members, former members, and prospective members. We've been able to establish (or re-establish) contact with so many people. It's great for our shows and other events. There are so many wonderful features in Groupanizer, it's hard to choose just one as the most valuable part. All the parts are valuable!
We needed "one-stop-shopping" for the organizational tools of the chorus; learning tracks, attendance, calendar, a place for members to post notices, and we needed to have a tool that would be user-friendly and give more than one person access to post updates, and yet not allow untrained users to crash the site!
Word of mouth from satisfied Groupanizer users was primarily what eased my personal concerns.
I love being able to get in and out of the site quickly. Easy log-in and at-a-glance confirmation of upcoming events and assignments are perfect for me.
We were looking for a place where members can go to keep current on the activities of the chorus that would help us track events and attendance.
When we get using all the functions, it will be the place that the public as well as the members will know everything they need to know about the chorus and it's activities. On line sales of SV and show tickets are a big item.
We were in the process of having someone put together a program using WordPress to do exactly what Gourpanizer will do when fully implemented. Thanks Groupanizer, for your foresight in this project.
Our chorus was growing at a pace that required a better system than Sharepoint. We wanted things to make our lives easier, more effective, provide our artistic director with Riser Placement, etc. We also wanted a more "social media" like interface for our members. Last but not least we needed a more robust set of permission controls for the diverse roles we have in the chorus. Groupanizer has delivered that.
In all honesty my biggest concern was speed and response from the Groupanizer team to our questions and needs ... but a short few weeks into the process I knew I could always rely on them to provide me with accurate and speedy solutions to my questions
We are just now pulling the life line off of Sharepoint completely. We ran both systems in parallel for a full concert period (major time demand on my part) and I can already see us being more effect with just Groupanizer. Our Director is thrilled with the features and is constantly asking questions on how to do things (a great sign)...
I was looking for a way to keep our members up to date. Once we found Groupanizer, I was concerned - would the members (who are senior citizens) log in and use the system. I was wrong to worry - most of the members are quite faithful (with a little prodding on my part) in accessing the system.
Our problem was in future planning. We usually did not look ahead (other than to our Annual Show) as to what time table was needed for our activities. With Groupanizer we not can plan our sing outs and music weeks or months ahead so the guys know when music is expected to be learned.
I used to have a huge workload! Forever updating documents and re-sending - contacting people by phone....Arrrggg!
I knew there had to be a solution somewhere, so I searched and seached until I found Groupanizer! I guess my only doubt was convincing the others that it was up to the job, but we had a free trial and that sorted that!
My paperwork has been reduced to nearly nothing! Making changes and updates is a breeze...as is contacting people. I can see stuff at a glance that I might have spent 20 minutes searching my hard disk for.
Trust Groupanizer! Though realize that once you have it, you will never be able to do without it!
Having created a couple forums for other groups, I knew the potential for this group, and I was afraid I was going to have to invent everything from scratch. Groupanizer has already created the modules and features that a chorus needs, including things I never would have thought of, so functionality came much quicker.
I was worried about how to get the chorus (which includes a lot of older members) to use the system. Creating video tutorials has helped, but I am still having a hard time getting some guys to use all the features, so I am going to start presenting one idea per week in our chapter meetings where I show them how to do something and why it is important to use the system.
We found Groupanizer when we needed a place for communication, but more importantly a way to replace the CDs we were using to learn parts. It has helped me communicate more effectively, and given my members a better sense of our tasks at hand.
Management of dis-integrated systems is a real problem. A membership database here, repertoire there, future events by e-mail, not knowing who to expect at an event, manually maintained and distributed calendar, the list goes on and on! All of the devices we used to keep the chorus on track and informed were separate pieces and very difficult to manage.
It looked to me that Groupanizer might have the ability to put all those pieces together in one place. My biggest concern was that it wouldn't do what I hoped it would do. But Groupanizer is a very well thought out system for chorus management. With proper data updates, the vast majority of information needed by the chorus is in one place and readily available. After I started with Groupanizer and updated the various databases, I found that my answer to most questions from the chorus members was "It's on Groupanizer!"... and it was!
We looked to Groupanizer to bring us into the 21st Century and to give us easier access for all concerned.
We have always been worried about the safety and security of our choir and member information, and whether some of our members without computers might have trouble keeping up.
Our learning tracks are now all together in one space and even if a cd is ruined, we can burn another one without much hassle. An overview of riser placement is handy and as choir leader it's very important to know ahead of time who is going to attend performances.
Lions Gate already had a Members Only Website, but Groupanizer makes it much easier for a person who doesn't know how to create or modify webpages take over and be able to maintain.
I was worried that we wouldn't be able to upload large sound files and videos, but after some advice from Groupanizer staff we found a solution. Once we got used to doing the new way, it was easy.
Groupanizer is wonderfully set up from a musician's point of view - the Riser Placement feature is excellent, as is the Attendance feature and the whole method of organizing music. ...besides, as 'webmaster', it has saved me a LOT of time!
We upgraded from our old system because Groupanizer allows us to make changes ourselves, and gave us more control. I had heard there was a steep learning curve to understand all the admin options - would we get the training and support we needed? We're still learning how to do stuff, but overall I'm pleased we upgraded.
Groupanizer has replaced our 'members only' section of our website. We wanted to keep track of attendance plans, a place to store learning tracks (without worrying about bandwith usage!). At first I worried about how our members would accept / use it, especially our less than techno savvy members would cope, but Groupanizer dealt with this through their information / FAQ's that were available to read before we went ahead.
Having others be able to edit / update the system has been a huge bonus. Another huge benefit is that the mailing lists have replaced the need for sending out large numbers of emails to members.
We never rehearse all together at the same time, and each member is responsible for attending at least two of the 4-6 rehearsals offered each month. Groupanizer helps me keep track of who is coming to each rehearsal or bedside sing, what repertoire they know (or need to work on), and whether they are capable of leading. It helps me set and communicate a calendar -- and changes to that calendar - quickly and efficiently. Before Groupanizer it was taking me more time to keep up with repertoire, calendar and attendance and things were slipping through the cracks. Now it's easy!
We already had a chorus management system but the hardware was aging, so needed a better long term solution that would be supported and extended as it evolved. We wanted to be able to leverage off of other chorus management opportunities to get a "best practice" approach.
I was worried about how readily we could get support, but to date I haven't had many issues with this.
It's great at bringing all our information together and linking it together so that we can track all the inter-relationships within chorus life.
Overall, my chorus and I love Groupanizer. It's a step up from the home-grown system we had before, and is now a vital part of our day-to-day operation.
Groupanizer Sing is amazing! We used to have real pain managing chorus resources, but I have never found a set of software that so matches our chorus management requirements.
At first I was worried that it would be difficult to edudate the Board, Music Team, and members - adopting Groupanizer required change! But as our Board, Music Team, and singers continue to gain experience, I get many requests for 'can it do this, can it do that?' and Groupanizer has not only met, but exceeded the requirements of those requests.
The Heralds of Harmony have always striven to be excellent in everything we do and now Groupanizer has added another layer of excellence in managing the resources of our chorus.
Super work Tom and Thanks!
We took a look at Groupanizer because of its integration of calendar, roster, downloads and mailing list management. Groupanizer kept us from having to build these functions into our Joomla based web environment with the limited time constraints of our web guru.
I was looking for a way to keep all the info in one place, and try to keep tabs on who was going to be showing up at various functions. We got Groupanizer and we're slowly convincing all the guys to log in and create profiles. Calendaring was always a hassle before, and finding out who would be where. But the new RSVP feature in the Groupanizer attendance calendar is REALLY helpful.
As the technical person responsible for the web site, it's great to have everything in one place that I can access from anywhere. I don't have to be at my home computer with DreamWeaver up in order to make changes, add stuff to the calendar, etc. Also, it will make it a lot easier to train someone else to help out, without requiring them to be a technical guru. From a performance management perspective there are lots of tools that help in managing the chorus and upcoming performances such as the ability to e-mail everyone who hasn't responded to a performance invitation.
I was concerned about whether or not our members would like it, but they have taken to it quite well, and I like that we can see who is using it so we can address their questions/problems.
By it's basic design it's made the technical maintenance easier since I really can access it and update it from anywhere. Once I got used to how to set things up and organize things, it's been pretty easy to maintain. I believe the members like having things in one central location and the visibility of calendars, music and member information.
Voices Northwest started using Groupanizer when our chorus formed. The member roster is very helpful, the repertoire as well as song status tracking are excellent, the blog function is easy to use and it's nice being able to send blogs out to all members; all of these features help us to keep our chorus organized and well informed. Updating Groupanizer is very easy, and it is a well-organized system that we can just plug our information into instead of trying to create a system on our own.
I was worried that it would be difficult to get all our members comfortable and familiar with Groupanizer, but It's been very easy to use and many members have accepted it easily and sign in frequently and have been able to easily figure out how to use the functions.
We were struggling to keep our old system up to date with the constant changes in music. We really needed a simpler solution with everything in one place, and the ability to get everything uploaded quickly and efficiently.
I was worried that Groupanizer would be too "cookie cuttter" and wouldn't have enough flexibility to handle our needs, and that it would be to techy for our members with few computer skills.
But Groupanizer has worked out really well for us. Everything we need is in one place, it's got a very clear/obvious interface, our members only site is now combined with our beautiful public site, we have the ability to upload documents/songs quickly and the ability to track attendance for rehearsals/performances easily... the list goes on! I love the constant updates that keep Groupanizer the newest and greatest chorus management software out there! They think of new features before I even realize they're needed!
Central Standard needed a better method for storing data, communicating chorus info, tracking rehearsal attendance and tracking song learning status. These are the core functions that Groupanizer provides in spades. Upon looking at the functionality provided by the Groupanizer system it was a no-brainer for us to sign up and start using it.
The BOD and PDT supported the move to Groupanizer as a place where we can easily communicate, facilitate all kinds of chapter functions, learn music, and post our history in pictures. Groupanizer has been an important impetus to our growth in three major ways:
- Groupanizer has enhanced our ability to communicate through blog and email functions.
- Groupanizer allows members to easily and uniformly access all learning materials both music and print.
- Groupanizer has given us a website that is more appealing and functional for the general public (potential members) with all kinds of expanded uses for the membership
Full article can be found here: http://groupanizer.com/learning-love-groupanizer
After talking with Tom in Seattle, my chorus management team trialed the site for a month and we love it. It's well-organized, easy to use, and has terrific tools for all of us. I especially like the riser board and the interactive calendar. It's a great way to keep track of who's going to be at rehearsal and the progress everyone is making learning new songs.
You have received plenty of great testimonials from Directors, Chorus Managers, etc.. I want to let you know how much I appreciate Groupanizer from the standpoint of a webmaster. As the guy who has had the major responsibility for looking after the website for the chapter, Groupanizer is a breath of fresh air.
Using an on-line, hosted system to look after the website means that creating and updating the site is a breeze, but most importantly it means that the webmaster is no longer the bottleneck for all things internet related. In the past, if anything needed updating, I had to be the one to do it, but that is no longer the case. If someone has new pictures for the photo gallery, any chorus member can up load them. If there are new learning tracks to be posted, the music team can load them. If a new member needs to be added, the membership person can do it. AND it all happens in one place. No longer do we have to use a whole variety of tools that require IT skills to manage our internet presence. Our public web pages, which by the way look far more professional than what we had in the past, and our chorus management all happen in one place.
Just one more thing to say, and that relates to service. Having a great system is of no value if I can't get help when I need it. Your timely and professional responses are extremely helpful and appreciated. As a guy that has worked in the computer industry for over 30 years, it's easy for me to recognize high quality work.
Thanks for Groupanizer.
After spending about an hour scouring your website I'm so excited I'm dancing around my kitchen! You understand chorus life so perfectly and have solutions for all of our administrivia and musical documentation needs. WOW, perhaps we'll be able to spend more of our time on musical excellence! The amount of time and energy your program can save us in nearly unfathomable! So often "time" is an excuse for losing members, and you're truly helping to fix that. AND you've made the program so affordable!
Congratulations on an exciting company future, and I can't thank you enough for creating this amazingly valuable tool.
Alaska Sound Celebration was looking for something better to help with management of the chorus. Groupanizer really fits the bill. There are so many features that fit the way we do business all built in out of the box. We are extremely excited about the riser placement tool and the blogs and the song listings. The ability to have all our information in one location with separate logins and permissions for our members that we control is also tremendous asset. We are looking forward to a long relationship with Groupanizer, as it really fits our Chorus needs.
Groupanizer is SO USER FRIENDLY absolutely anyone can understand and benefit from it! Greater Cleveland Chorus is in our trial period right now and having a blast! What a fabulous idea to house all our chorus information in one place. Tom is always there supporting and answering all of my questions, and I have had plenty. He has designed this site so that it can be manipulated to fit each chorus/choir and he is always looking for ways to make it better! Groupanizer saves time, money and increases our productivity. I would highly recommend each and every chorus at least give this a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Our chorus has been using Groupanizer almost since it was first introduced. After initially trying to create a members-only site ourselves we can really appreciate how Groupanizer has simplified everything for us. It allowed our web techs to focus on music instead of computer glitches. It covers everything a member and a director needs from weekly communications to repertoire learning, attendance tracking to performance details - and my latest favourite toy: the riser chart. The support staff has been very responsive to suggestions and requests creating a user friendly functional tool that even techno-phobes like myself can navigate successfully.
When Lions Gate wanted to move our communication and management to the next level and reduce the workload of our leaders, we chose the best online chorus management system we could find. Our management team loves the mailing lists, the prospective member tracker, the task manager and the invoicing tool, and I love the riser placement system, but Groupanizer would be worth the price just for the way it automates our recordings qualification program alone!
The Carolinas District leadership is very excited about creating one of the best member communication networks in the Society. We have teamed up with Tom Metzger & Groupanizer to install Groupanizer SING! in all 27 chapters and to link the network through our district website which Tom also helped us develop. Our member communications reach will be almost 100% when a district mailing list is typically no better than 50%. Our chapter driven philosophy is built around the ability to communicate easily and directly to all district members. We think Groupanizer does that along with bringing excellent chapter management & chorus development web based tools for all to use on line. Even more important, we want our chapters to be among the best in the Society in serving our members’ needs and we expect membership growth and singing success to reflect the Groupanizer advantage in future years. I worked closely with Tom Metzger and Groupanizer through the whole process and can attest to his professional skill, willingness to adapt, and positive approach. The icing on the cake is his first hand knowledge of a cappella singing and his understanding of our world.
I feel like I have a team behind me with the power of Groupanizer. As you know, I started with Groupanizer right from the beginning, and it has proven to be an incredibly versatile, flexible and user-friendly tool to manage all aspects of chorus life. It takes very little of my time, and yields great results with the right level of visibility.
As a chorus that is being formed on the premise of self-reliance, Groupanizer is exactly the platform to serve up everything our members need – and offers me the summary and dashboard views to ensure I can keep an eye on the operations of the chorus to keep things on track. We have a strong reliance on internet technology for communication, distribution of repertoire, and ongoing management of the ensemble – so it is a perfect fit.
I can’t wait to expand our use of Groupanizer as the chorus continues to grow and develop. Every month you are crossing items off my wish list with the additional features you are building into the application: Mailing lists? Check! Riser placement? Check! And thank you for your personal and attentive service! Why isn’t every chorus using Groupanizer?!!
I personally use Drupal (and several other CMS systems) and have about six Drupal sites that I own and manage. In the case of our chorus, when we first started with Groupanizer, I thought that perhaps we could do something similar using standard Drupal modules and manage it all ourselves. I no longer believe that. In addition to the fact that these are very specialized pieces (particular to a musical organization's use), Tom is continually improving the product and is adding features etc on a regular basis. We are VERY happy with the way everything works together for our chorus, and are extremely happy with the support and dedication shown by Tom.
What an awesome communications tool! Groupanizer keeps everyone up to speed... The calendar function is one I find particularly useful. Say you need to know what songs we’re doing and what to wear to a gig….no problem, just click the gig on the calendar and up comes the whole 9 yards: name of the venue, address, map link, the song list, the uniform of the day, the show-up time, it could go on and on. Got enough tenors coming to this thing? A click or two will show you who’s gonna be there. This is a marvelous product, so easy to use, even a baritone can do it!
Groupanizer is an outstanding tool and would be a benefit for your chorus. The Kentucky Vocal Union has been using it for several months now, and it has been a blessing to our organization. I recommend it for anyone wishing to have a more organized online way to handle members-only activities in the chorus. It is fairly simple to maintain - even for someone like me who has just basic computer experience. This is a product you don't want to pass over.
Since we started using groupanizer nearly everything has become easier and more efficient - from being able to locate anything from our repertoire, to assigning tasks to various members of the organization and tracking them. All of our members details are stored in one place, accessible by anyone who needs to access them, as well as being able to check the calendar and see who will be attending what event. We love this so much we'll be using a laptop at rehearsals to record attendance and make sure everyone's subs are up to date. I can't wait for more extras! Thank you Groupanizer!
What we like about Groupanizer the most is that all our music, schedules, and stuff related to the chapter is in one place. It is also nice to get updates and notices on things as they are happening. With as many young guys as we have in our chapter it has not been that hard to get them to use this. From an administrative standpoint being able to see who is going to be at an event is easy as well as knowing where each member is on each song.
Groupanizer replaces multiple isolated tools and automates many tasks for our team, but I'm most excited by Groupanizer's extensible platform. Groupanizer will host our new public web site and integrated online store, and soon after we'll add a customer relationship management system.
I can see this as being an incredible management tool for us to very efficiently keep track of members, performances, meetings, chapter documents, printed music, mp3 learning tracks, communication and other things too. It has all of the bells and whistles (and more) that I have been wanting to add to our site but have not been able to do since I'm not a programmer and web guru. The best part is that you have made it very easy to use, configure and update using only a few clicks on the website.
We are using Groupanizer at California Delta/American River Chorus. Excellent product, I would recommend for any chapter that has a desire to organize itself. Takes away a LOT of e-mailing and phone calling and gets things DONE!!!!!!
The neat part is, you can have different people update diferent things that they are responsible for. I can't wait to get our regular chapter website as part of this!
We are still coming up with ideas and changes so the one thing we have learned is Groupanizer is dynamic and is capable of being changed to meet our changing requirements.
The Midnight Sons Chorus has been using Groupanizer for almost a year and we LOVE it. The site has allowed for our all our members to have constant access to learning tracks, sheet music, events calender, attendance, and blogging! Our chapter infomation flow has evolved so much with the use of the Groupanizer site due to the ease of access for each member!
Groupanizer helps you see the big picture of the organization at all times and not just focus on the minute details that you are used to focusing on.
We made the switch to Groupanizer due to the amount of time it was taking to maintain our Members Only site; Groupanizer, with its intuitive design, immediately decreased the work load of our web staff and increased the resources at our disposal. We have found Groupanizer to be very user friendly and easy to navigate, which is a must when not all of our members are "tech-savvy". Most importantly, we have been able to easily customize the look and layout of the site to suit our needs and preferences. The attendance feature and ease of maintaining print music and learning tracks are a director's dream!