create a shared calendar for rehearsals

gistfile1.md

Using a shared electronic calendar helps ensure your group members always have the most up-to-date information, and removes the hassle of having to shoot emails back-and-forth making sure everyone's on the same page. Google Calendar is a relatively easy, free option to do this, and is convenient because so many people have GMail accounts. Doodle and ScheduleOnce are also helpful tools for finding people's availability.

Create a shared calendar

1. let the other members of your group know something like the following:

   You will be getting a lot of email notifications – just RSVP Yes/No/Maybe from the email notification, or from within the Google calendar. If you use iCal, follow these instructions to have the shared Google calendar appear there.

2. create a Google Calendar account, if you don't have one

3. create a new calendar with the name of your group

4. share the calendar with the other members of your group

   • use their GMail addresses, if they have them, as that will make it more seamless

Create events

1. create a new event, filling in the date, time, and location
   • as a convention, I usually put a question mark after the location name if it's still being confirmed
2. add every person who should be there (yourself included)
   • Google Calendar also supports optional attendees
   • even if you know someone can't attend, add them anyway so that others see their "No" RSVP, and they can switch the RSVP if their plans change
3. save the event
4. when prompted, click "Send invites"

Protips

• If you have regular rehearsals, set up a recurring event.
• If you need to schedule a bunch of rehearsals with the same group of people on random days, I recommend using the "Duplicate event" feature.