Quarter Notes

There are 480 volunteers in the BSAV who give their time and energy to assure that the summer season at Tanglewood is fully staffed, meeting the needs of patrons attending concerts and enjoying a day off. The BSAV also has 127 retired volunteers, the Volunteers Emeritus. 

All active BSAV volunteers prepare for the season by watching training videos targeted to their specific assignment and studying detailed written guides, so that they understand exactly what their job entails and how to make it as seamless as possible. The Welcome Back program gathers all volunteers in the Shed for the official launch of the volunteer season and an overview of the summer. This year’s Welcome Back program was held on June 18.

The 2024 summer season includes 43 scheduled concerts in the Koussevitzky Shed and 49 concerts in Ozawa Hall. A total of 312 ushers will work at these concerts to escort ticket holders and provide assistance to individuals with wheelchairs and walkers. Jason Lyons, Front of House Manager, and Patrick Alves, Associate Front of House Manager, begin calculating the number of ushers needed for each concert well before the season begins. 

“About a week before each concert”, says Patrick, “we make sure enough volunteers are signed up.  If we don’t have enough coverage, we ask the volunteer liaison to send out an email asking for more help. As for assigning individual volunteers to specific spots in the shed or Ozawa Hall, we know the ushers who generally work in each location. When there is more than one program on a Sunday afternoon, or when there is a BUTI concert in Ozawa Hall, and the Sunday afternoon program is in the Shed, it can be a challenge staffing both venues. Ozawa only requires 6 ushers, but we need the usual 40-50 in the Shed. Because we have been doing this for so long, we can anticipate every hurdle and work it out.”

FUN FACTS

• 147 tours of the Tanglewood grounds were provided by 32 knowledgeable tour guides last year. There is an extensive Guides’ Guide that all tour guides must learn and follow. Additionally, they go through a training period when they shadow fellow Tour Guides and then are shadowed by an experienced Guide before they actually give an independent tour to visitors.  
• 148 volunteer general hosts who welcome guests as they come through the gates, hand out programs, assist with mobile ticketing, and roam the grounds to answer patron questions 
• 39 parking lot hosts throughout the property to help people remember where they parked
• 61 volunteers who work in the Glass House gift shops to check out customers and keep stock neatly organized
• 32 exhibit docents stationed at the Tappan House, site of the original home of the owners of Tanglewood, that is now a museum. The docents guide visitors through the exhibit and answer questions. 
• 50 volunteers who various children’s programs and work with kids throughout the summer
• 8 volunteer photographers

A typical Shed concert on Sunday at Tanglewood requires the services of 50 ushers, 2 tour guides, 6 people to work in the two Glass House gift shops, 4 docents to be at the Tappan House for tours, 27 general hosts, 4 parking hosts, 3 people to assist with mobile ticketing at the gates, 6 people working at the information table helping patrons find restrooms, food stalls and answering questions. There are also 4 parking hosts, who are stationed in various parking lots to greet patrons and remind to take a photo or closely observe where they parked so they can find their car at the end of the concert. There are also 10 volunteers, who do crafts and tattoos, and oversee games on the lawn for the children of patrons Every Sunday there is also an Instrument Playground where children are encouraged to try out an orchestra instrument, working with a volunteer who is trained on that instrument.  All Tanglewood volunteers are recognizable because they are clad in a uniform of a blue polo shirt with the Tanglewood insignia and solid pants of black, white or khaki.  

Volunteer assignments are filled out on the BSO portal at bso.org, by individuals who sign up for specific concerts on specific dates. Detailed Maps of the shed, parking lots, and the grounds for the tours are handed out to all volunteers with their badges. Written Guides are available on the volunteer portal 

The BSAV would not function if it were not for Erin Asbury, Director of Volunteers and the General of this Army of volunteers, Erin is always available, with a smile and a warm greeting to any volunteer who has questions, needs assistance, or has a problem. 

“It does take an army,” says Erin, “but the wonderful thing about our army is our people.  The dedication and diversity of our volunteers makes this job not only interesting, but also rewarding. It is a community that it is a pleasure and honor to work with,” she said.

Written by Nancy B. Finn