Download the attendance sheet (Excel, free)
In many bands and choirs, there's a paper list on the table at rehearsal, or the secretary keeps track in a spreadsheet of their own. That works fine, as long as the sheet is set up well and someone keeps it up to date. In this article, you'll read what's in the template, how to use it and when a spreadsheet is no longer enough.
Want to know all the ways to track attendance first? Read How to track rehearsal attendance in your band or choir: 5 ways compared.
What's in the template?
The file has three tabs.
Attendance. This is the heart of the sheet. Each row is a member, each column a rehearsal. There's room for 30 rehearsals, and the sections of a wind band are already filled in. Running a choir, brass band or drum corps? Just change them. On the right, four columns fill themselves in:
- how often someone was present;
- how often someone sent apologies;
- how often someone was absent without notice;
- the attendance rate as a percentage.
At the bottom, you see how many people came to each rehearsal. You'll spot the thin evenings at a glance.
Print version. A blank sign-in sheet to put on the table at the door. Members tick the box next to their name, and after rehearsal you copy it into the first tab.
How to use. The codes and a few tips, so a new secretary understands the file too.
The codes: present, apologies and no notice
The template uses three codes. In each cell, you pick one from a dropdown, so there are no typos.
| Code | Meaning | Color |
|---|---|---|
| P | Present | Light orange |
| A | Sent apologies in time | Gray |
| X | Absent without notice | Orange, bold |
Why three and not two? Because sending apologies is different from staying away. A member who's on vacation and lets you know hasn't done anything wrong. A member who misses three rehearsals without a word deserves a phone call. With only "yes" or "no," you can't see that difference.
An empty cell means nothing has been filled in yet. It doesn't count toward attendance. A new member who starts in January doesn't get a low score because of the September rehearsals.
How to use the attendance sheet
1 List your members by section
Start with the names, grouped by section: clarinets together, trumpets together, percussion at the bottom. Later, you'll see right away when a whole section is missing, not just one member. Already have a member list in a spreadsheet? Copy the names over in one go.
2 Add all the dates of the season at once
In row 4, type the dates of every rehearsal until the summer, including concerts, extra rehearsals and competitions. Then you don't have to do it every week, and you won't miss a rehearsal.
3 Fill in the sheet right after rehearsal
Do it the same evening or the next morning. A week later, nobody remembers whether the second horn was there. Apologies that come in beforehand go straight into the sheet as an A.
4 Check attendance every month
Once a month, go down the Attendance column. If someone's attendance drops a lot, have a chat. There's often a reason you can solve together, like a new job or trouble with the part. How to improve rehearsal attendance: 7 tips explains how to have that conversation and what the group itself can do.
Excel, Google Sheets or paper?
The template works in all three. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
1 Excel on the secretary's laptop
How to do it well:
- Keep the file in one fixed place, with a backup, not in your downloads folder.
- Start each season in a new tab or a new file, so you can look back at past seasons.
Where it falls short: only the secretary sees the sheet. When they're ill or away, nobody keeps track. And members can't send apologies through the file themselves.
2 Google Sheets, shared with the committee
How to do it well:
- Import the template with File > Import. The formulas and dropdowns keep working.
- Share it with the committee and the conductor only, not with the whole group. Attendance is personal data.
- If you like, give section leaders edit access so they can fill in their own section.
Where it falls short: on a phone, a spreadsheet with 30 columns is hard to use. And anyone with edit access can overwrite a formula by accident.
3 The print version at rehearsal
How to do it well:
- Put the sheet in the same spot every rehearsal, for example next to the coffee.
- Ask someone to check that everyone has signed, and to take the sheet home afterward.
Where it falls short: you only know who's there on the night itself. So the conductor can't plan ahead. And someone still has to type it up afterward.
| Who can see it | Works on a phone | Know beforehand who's coming | Work for the secretary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excel on a laptop | Only the secretary | No | Only if apologies are passed on | Medium |
| Google Sheets | Whoever you invite | With difficulty | Only if apologies are passed on | Medium |
| Paper print version | Whoever's there | No | No | Typing it up after every rehearsal |
| An app for music associations | Members and committee, each their own part | Yes | Yes, members send their own apologies | Little |
When is a spreadsheet no longer enough?
For a small group with a steady membership, a well-kept spreadsheet is often fine. A few signs that it's time for something else:
- Apologies come in through four channels. WhatsApp, email, a message to the section leader and a word at rehearsal. The secretary spends more time collecting than keeping track.
- The conductor asks every week who's coming. A spreadsheet tells you who was there, but says little about who's coming on Saturday.
- There are three versions of the file. One on the laptop, one in someone's email and one in the shared folder. Nobody knows which one is right.
- Nobody wants to take it over. When the secretary steps down, the file turns out to be full of private conventions only they understand.
Recognize two or more? Then it's worth looking at an app where members reply to rehearsals themselves.
Tracking attendance in Orchesi
In Orchesi, nobody has to collect apologies. Members reply to a rehearsal in the app with a single tap and give a reason if they want to. You set a reply deadline, so the conductor knows in time which players will be there. Members who are ill or going on vacation set a status and decline that period in one go. During or after rehearsal, the conductor or calendar manager goes through the roll call, so you also know who was actually there. See how the agenda works in Orchesi.
