Why "Special Musical Numbers"?

The final sentence of the section in the Handbook of Instructions on Music Training states:

"Ward [Branch] music chairmen help find opportunities for developing musicians to use their talents and encourage them to continue developing their skills."

One of those "opportunities" is the Special Musical Number (SMN).  Whether you and the interested singers, pianists, organists or appropriate instrumentalists ("interested talent" as identified in your updated talent inventory) decide to do special musical numbers on a unit or stake level, working with combinations of your interested talent to prepare and present a SMN is one way you help them to grow and develop. 

That is why the list appears at the top of the blog.  In addition to your "internal" or unit SMNs, there is also an opportunity to motivate and encourage the further development of music skills by inviting your interested talent to fulfill one of the slots in the "external" list above.  Are you trying to build a choir?  Invite your interested talent to sing for an Adult session of Stake Conference or for a Sunday Session of Stake Conference.  Need help preparing them?  Call me and I will come as often as you want.  You can even couple an event like this with developing choir directing skills, or choir accompanying skills.  Two or three objectives with one event.  Sound interesting?

Most importantly, you are fulfilling your calling to "...find opportunities for developing musicians to use their talents [while encouraging] them to continue developing their skills."