Spring Recruiting - Start Now

by William W. Gourley

Here we are at the end of the first marking period. Marching uniforms are put away - unless your team is in the play-offs - the Halloween concert is over, grades are in and parent teacher conferences are this week. Everybody has their concert instrument, you are trying to teach a flutist to play bassoon or tuba or convince a couple violinists to play viola, getting started on the December concert music, collecting money for solo and ensemble festival and finalizing plans for the trip and fundraising. It’s time to start recruiting those beginners who will be signing up for band or orchestra in the spring.

That’s right, start recruiting now. We need to take a long range view of recruiting. Think of it as a marathon not the hundred meter dash. The longer you get the message to the students and parents and in a variety of ways will enhance your beginning enrollment in the spring.

During November and December there are many opportunities to get the message to parents of potential band/orchestra students.

• Parent-teacher conferences at the elementary schools
  • Have the boosters set-up an information table
  • Run a video from the Einstein Packet or Band Blast-off
  • Have small ensembles from your high school, middle school or second year students perform
  • Put up posters alerting parents of upcoming musical events
  • Instrument “petting zoo”
• Elementary school and district newsletters
  • Include an article about beginning band/orchestra and concert dates
  • Include an article about the fall performance with a picture
• Elementary music concerts, programs and school musical
  • Set-up a booster information table
  • Run a video from the Einstein Packet or Band Blast-off
  • Put up posters of upcoming musical events
  • Instrument “petting zoo”
  • Insert in the program informing parents about beginning band/orchestra in the spring
• Elementary music classes
  • Show video of the marching band or fall orchestra concert
  • Start introducing instruments

Implementing just two or three of these can set the stage for more successful recruiting in the spring.

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