Recruitment Tip

It’s never too late to get students involved in music so engage your more advanced students and make them as visible as possible in your school building so that others can see how much they enjoy performing. Can they perform during lunchtime on Fridays; play a fun version of “Happy Birthday” for the teachers in your building on their special day by bursting into one of their classes with a branded balloon or ink pen; or serenade the office staff (including counselors) during Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day to thank them for their hard work? And don’t forget the elementary or middle school music teachers! Is there a way to arrange to have a few of your experienced students show up at their former music teachers' classrooms to serenade them as well during their largest classes? All of this takes some extra coordination, but remember, recruiting is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year process, and the more that non-music students and future potential students see how much fun your current students are having, the more they will want to be a part of it.

Retention Tip

If you haven’t booked the first concert for your newbies yet, now is the time! Download the FREE First Performance National Day of Celebration Toolkit and get ready to share the joy of the very first music-making experience with your beginners, their parents, and your administration. This 20-25 minute, scripted concert event generates a lot of excitement for everyone and leads to increased retention overall.

Success Tip

It goes without saying that being a music educator requires a multitude of various tasks and having assistance makes all the difference. Now is the time to recruit and engage the parents of your new students who may be able to lend a hand and just need a little guidance on what they can do. Not only does it help to increase your efficiency, but it is also the first step toward building relationships with those who care the most about your students — their parents! NAfME has provided a wealth of information on how parents can support a music program and the Music Travel blog provides guidance through suggested key steps on getting parents involved. Be sure to involve the parents of current students who may be your best resource on engaging new parents.