The Director of Promotions is responsible for all publicity for the Music Department, including co-sponsored events, even if you have designed it yourself.

The Director of Promotions approves and oversees all aspects of promotions including:

• Advertising
• Distributing press releases, public service announcements, and calendar announcements
• Contact with media within and outside of UVA (newspaper, magazines, TV, radio, blogs and social media)
• Photography of departmental events
• Design and proofing of printed materials (ads, posters, handbills, invitations)
• Printed biannual calendar of events (10,000 copies)
• Weekly events email “Music at UVA” (5,000+ subscribers)
• Online calendar of events (http://music.virginia.edu/events) (all Music Department events since 1998 are archived there)
• Departmental web presence (including performance section of departmental website: http://music.virginia.edu/performance/

The publicity deadline for all Music Department events is 5 weeks prior to the event. Other specific publicity deadlines (e.g. printed calendar of events, auditions) are listed below. Every departmental ensemble, class, performer, faculty member, student (e.g. Distinguished Major) and publicized affiliated student group that makes use of the Promotions Office must sign a Publicity and Promotions Agreement with the Department (see copy in the appendix).

Our event publicity is primarily geared to our local audience. Besides the venues listed below, we attempt to place interesting stories in various UVA and local publications. Occasionally, if the story is on a national or international scale, we enlist the UVA Office of University Communications (https://communications.virginia.edu/) to send the release from their office.

Budgets

Please discuss your ensemble publicity requests with the Director of Promotions prior to submitting your budget proposal to the Chair. Final publicity budgets are determined by the Chair in consultation with the Department Finance and Administration Manager.

Approvals

Prior to distribution, the Department must approve all promotional materials – even if your event is not taking place in Old Cabell Hall – including but not limited to ads, newsletters, posters, postcards, and web pages. If you are producing your own publicity, please submit proofs to the Director of Promotions for approval at least one week PRIOR to printing.

Acknowledgments

All departmental and ensemble promotional materials must feature prominently the words “University of Virginia” and “McIntire Department of Music.” Funding from designated sources (e.g., the Arts Council or the Arts Enhancement Fund) and co-sponsors must also be acknowledged properly. All acknowledgments must be approved by the Director of Promotions.

Press Releases and Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Press Releases

The press submission form is online: http://music.virginia.edu/publicity-form (In order to access this form, you need to go to: music.virginia.edu/admin and log on using name: music / password: press). This form is due at least 5 weeks prior to event. Events for which information is not submitted by the deadline are not guaranteed of receiving publicity.  The Director of Promotions will proof and edit your submission before sending it out to local and regional press contacts, and put it on the web and in our weekly emails.

Note: the online publicity submission form is intended not only for publicizing specific Music Department-sponsored and co-sponsored events, such as concerts, master classes, residencies, workshops, lectures, colloquia, symposiums, conferences, etc., but also for individual faculty and graduate students to announce their new publications, compositions and recordings, their performances and other non-UVA appearances, their outreach efforts, as well as their honors, awards, reviews, interviews, podcasts, grants, scholarships, etc.

For further details, see also the document Music Department Press Release – “How To” in the appendix.

The edited press release and photo will be used to create a web press page for your event.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

If you would like the department to send out a PSA, you can submit it on the press form and the Director of Promotions will edit and send to the radio and TV outlets. Your press release can also be adapted to the PSA format by the Director of Promotions.

For further details, see also the document Music Department Press Release – “How To” in the appendix.

Printed Materials

Posters

All posters must feature prominently the words “University of Virginia” and “McIntire Department of Music” and must be approved prior to printing by the Director of Promotions.

The Promotions Office hires a part-time student designer to design posters, postcards and handbills for events that have money in their budget to produce them. You can either submit your request on the graphics request form (http://bit.ly/uvamusicdesign) or email requests to musicdesign@virginia.edu. Include your poster text and any ideas for the type of poster you would like, such as those regarding themes, images, fonts, colors and sizes of posters. As with publicity texts and other promotional materials, graphics requests need to be made at least five weeks prior to the event.

Auditions Posters: The Promotions Office can also produce posters, handbills and ads for ensemble auditions if time and individual budgets permit.

Postcards/Handbills/Invites

If you have money in your publicity budget, the Promotions Office will create these for you, given adequate notice. The Promotions Office has a part-time paid student designer who can help design these, but please be aware there will be other costs related to printing, labeling, and postage.

Newspaper Advertisements

If your budget can accommodate the cost of ads, the Promotions Office will approve, reserve, and place them.

Semi-Annual Printed Calendar of Events

The Department prints two calendars of events each year. Submissions are due prior to June 1st for the fall calendar and prior to November 1st for the spring calendar.

Concert Programs

Final program information is due to the Administrative Assistant at least 2 weeks prior to the event date. Final concert program information for any programs that need to be sent out to an outside vendor for printing is due no later than 3 weeks prior to the performance. All concert programs must be approved by the person in charge of the event, and must be proofread and approved by the Director of Promotions or another delegated member of the office staff prior to being sent to the printing office.

A complete set of program information should contain the following, as applicable:

• Top of page 1: “The McIntire Department of Music presents”
• Name of artist / ensemble / concert
• Day / date / start time / place
• Program listing titles and dates of compositions, as well as composers’ and arrangers’ names (with birth / death dates as applicable)
• Names of guests / soloists / ensemble members with instruments played / voices sung
• Short blurb on ensemble
• Bios of guest artists
• Program notes on composers and compositions being performed
• Any images to be used on the cover or in the program
• Acknowledgments: the standard acknowledgment lists the Chair, Director of Music Performance, and Music Department Staff, interns and paid student workers.
• Acknowledgements should also include any special sources of funding, using the exact language required. If your event is being sponsored by the Arts Council, Arts Enhancement, or a departmental gift or endowment, the Director of Promotions will provide the correct language.
• Should also include text: “Ensemble XYZ greatly appreciates your attendance and support. Thank you.”
• Should also include text: “To ensure a quality performance, please turn off all cell phones and other technology. Flash photography is prohibited unless permission has been arranged by the performer. Your compliance is greatly appreciated.”
• Should also include the number of programs you are requesting to be printed (this may be altered depending on budget constraints). The Administrative Assistant can look up prior concert attendance to assist in deciding on an appropriate number.

Web-Based Publicity

Departmental and University Web Pages

The Department is responsible for approving, formatting and maintaining all content for Department web pages. It is the responsibility of each faculty member to submit, review and edit the information for program and individual web pages. All postings on the Department website require approval of the Director of Promotions. Web submissions other than press releases should be sent to music-web@virginia.edu.

The Director of Promotions approves overall general content for the Music Department’s web site (http://music.virginia.edu/). A part-time student web designer oversees all the technical aspects of the website.

Web maintenance is delegated to student and professional staff as follows:

• HR and faculty pages are maintained by the Chair's Assistant and Academic Programs Coordinator.
• Graduate program pages are maintained by the Chair's Assistant and Academic Programs Coordinator.
• Undergraduate program pages, courses and lesson pages are maintained by the Chair’s Assistant and Academic Programs Coordinator.
• Facilities Pages maintained by the Production Manager.
• All other pages are maintained by the student web designer and the Director of Promotions.

Send requests to music-web@virginia.edu.

Press Release Web Page (for Events)

Your edited press release and photo will be used to create a web press page for your event. You can also post audio and video files, if you have written permission of the artist and/or the artist’s representative to do so. Files of up to 12MB in size may be uploaded directly on the online publicity submission form (http://music.virginia.edu/publicity-form; In order to access this form, you need to go to: music.virginia.edu/admin and log on using name: music / password: press). You can request a shortcut URL for the press release web page.

Ensemble Web Pages

(http://music.virginia.edu/ensembles)

Each ensemble has its own web page. As ensemble director, you are expected to verify that the information on the page is accurate. You are expected to submit updates at the beginning of each semester to music-web@virginia.edu.

Auditions Web Pages

(http://music.virginia.edu/auditions)

The Promotions Office publicizes all Music Department auditions. Audition information is due by June 1st for fall auditions and by December 1st for spring auditions. Audition information is published on web pages, by mass email, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Concert Series Web Pages

(http://music.virginia.edu/concert-series)

If you direct a program or series (e.g. UVACMS, Jazz Program), you are expected to provide updates on a regular basis.

Web Calendars

Internal Web Calendar

The Department maintains a music events web calendar (http://music.virginia.edu/events). Information for inclusion on the calendar should be submitted five weeks prior to the event.

External Web Calendars

If complete event information is received before June 1st, the event will be submitted to local web calendars.

Weekly “Music at UVA” Emails

Submissions for the weekly email can be submitted using the online publicity submission form (http://music.virginia.edu/publicity-form; In order to access this form, you need to go to: music.virginia.edu/admin and log on using name: music / password: press). Submissions for the weekly email must be concise and to the point with a link for more information.

Social Networking, etc. (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, web sites, mass emails)

The Music Department has access to some social networking resources and will gladly publicize your event through those outlets. Please send submissions to music-social@virginia.edu. We will also advise you on how you can tap into the social networking resources of your ensemble members and patrons.

Department Newsletter

The semi-annual Music Department Newsletter has been suspended as of spring 2010. Departmental news is posted in the “News” section on the homepage (http://music.virginia.edu/)

Radio and Television

If your budget can accommodate the cost of radio ads and sponsorships (e.g. Clear Channel, WVTF), the Promotions Office will approve, reserve, and place them. TV ads are normally beyond our financial resources. If, however, your budget can accommodate the cost of TV ads and sponsorships, the Promotions Office will approve, reserve, and place them as well.

Photos and Recordings

Photo and Recording Permissions

It is the responsibility of the instructor, professor or ensemble director to insure that all class or ensemble participants are aware of the photo and recording policies of the Department and that all outside guest artists (as well as students who have been photographed in close-up) have signed the relevant media release forms (UVA Student Media Release, Media Consent and Release Form – Non-Commercial Projects, or Media Consent and Release Form – Commercial/Sales Projects in the appendix). The policy is found at: http://music.virginia.edu/performance/policy.

Completed media release forms are archived by the Production Manager.

Photos

The Promotions Office maintains a photo file on each Music Department faculty member and ensemble. If you have photos to include in your files, please send them to the Director of Promotions. Include the photographer’s name and a photo release stating that the University of Virginia has permission to use the photos.

If you have money in your budget, we can hire professional photographers for your group. If your group does not have the resources to hire a photographer, the Promotions Office attempts to schedule a volunteer photographer for concerts and events. Please work with these volunteers to find a time to obtain the best possible photos of your event with the least amount of disturbance. Photographing public music events is unusually difficult because of the sound and lighting considerations; for that reason we prefer to take the bulk of the shots at a dress rehearsal where the photographer can move about freely. Our unpaid volunteer photographers donate their time, equipment and talents to the Department. Please thank them for their efforts.

Other Publicity Opportunities

Please let the Director of Promotions know if you would like to discuss publicity opportunities that are not mentioned on this list.

Outreach

Please inform the Director of Promotions if you have participated in any outreach endeavors, such as visits to retirement communities, schools, hospitals, fairs, or similar events. We send outreach news to university and media sources.

Interviews

If you are willing and able to be interviewed about an event or current project, please tell the Director of Promotions. The appeal of the story line is an important factor, but breaking news stories may take precedence over our events. Please be advised that our office has no control over this. In addition, please inform the Director of Promotions if you have been interviewed, or if you were quoted in the media.

Ticket Give-Aways and Raffles

Organizers of ticketed events can choose to donate tickets to media outlets (for coverage) and to schools and community groups (for outreach). Donating tickets to raffles can also increase community awareness of your event. If you would like to donate tickets, please arrange with the Director of Promotions.

Fairs

We represent the Music Department at fairs and meetings around the University and the Charlottesville community. Please inform us of fairs where you think we should be represented.

Student-Directed Campaigns (chalking, handbills, banners, tabling, Beta Bridge, etc.)

These can be very important outlets for communicating with the student body. The Department will advise and supervise any students or volunteers you can provide to launch a student-directed campaign.