VIRAL Recruitment Hacks For Music Program Explosion

Viral Recruitment Hacks for Music Program Explosion by Angela Ammerman

*When we say “Explosion,” we don’t mean “explosive” like BOOM—no pyrotechnics involved. We’re talking about the kind of “blowing up” that makes your admin ask, “How in the world did you fit 500 kids in one rehearsal room?” or “Are we going to need to check the fire code AGAIN???” or “WHY IS EVERY SINGLE KID CARRYING AN INSTRUMENT INTO THE SCHOOL RIGHT NOW?!?!”

If you’re not *YET* using these viral, explosive, fire-code-defying recruitment hacks, then this is your sign to get out your to-do list and get going! These recruitment hacks have helped music teachers all across the country more than double their programs in less than three years. And the thing about these hacks is that they really don’t take nearly the effort you might think! 

Before we go any further into this article, I want us to review our mission and our why for recruitment. We recruit because we know how being part of a musical group can change everything for an individual. We know that music is an expression, communication, friendship, and, so often, a home away from home. In a more pressing way, our school systems usually have a threshold with which we must meet if we are to keep our positions. Find out what this threshold is for your school and/or school system so that you can ensure your own stability. With those two reasons in mind, let’s dive into these tried and true tips for building your music program. 

Tip 1: Teacher Swap Day

We all know that getting into your feeder schools to invite younger musicians into your program is an essential recruitment activity. Still, we all know that finding a sub right now is harder than finding an exit at IKEA. They are nowhere to be found! Next time you want to get out to recruit, try a teacher swap day instead! In fact, stop what you’re doing right now, pick a date or two when this might work for you, and text those dates to one of your feeder teachers to see if you can simply swap places for the day. Not only will your admin love this idea, but you will be able to recruit all day long, and the older kids will get to see their former teachers! Win. Win. Win. Win! 

P.S. – When you do go out to recruit, don’t let the focus be on the recruitment spiel. Let the focus be on the music-making instead! 

  • Practice the music they are already working on to show them how it will feel to be part of your ensemble. 
  • Bring stickers, pencils, erasers, and any giveaways you might have! 
  • Also, bring an enrollment form with a simple FAQ for kids and families! 
  • Refer to them as musicians the whole time (or even whatever your mascot is, i.e. – “I loved your articulation there, bearcat musicians!”).
  • And let them know how much you want to work with them next year!

Tip 2: Recruitment Team

Have a clear goal and share it with EVERYONE. Share your goal with your students, administration, parents, and especially with your pyramid (see Figure 1 below for the traditional pyramid structure). Because here’s the truth about recruitment:
The best recruiters for your program will always be your musicians!

School Feeder Pyramid

Figure 1. Sample School Feeder Pyramid

If they love band and feel connected to the culture of the program, they are more likely to tell everyone. If their friends, siblings, and classmates see them enjoying orchestra and achieving success, they will be more likely to want to join!

Create a recruitment leadership team composed of your most vocal (read: noisy) and welcoming people. 

  • Set them up to visit the feeder schools before or after school to help the younger kids and to build those musical networking sessions! 
  • Share your goal with your students and post it prominently in the room. 
  • Ask for their help in reaching the goal and let them know if there might be prizes as you approach the different enrollment levels.

Feel free to use this fillable recruitment poster template HERE for your classroom with a Canva account (it’s free if you don’t have one yet)! Simply open the template, change the name to reflect your school’s program, change the numbers to reflect the levels you hope to achieve, and then print! Just remember to keep the numbers achievable to maintain motivation and momentum!

Fillable Music Program Recruiting Template

Tip 3: Talk Less, Music More!

Once you have recruited kids into your program, you want to make sure you can keep them! One of the best ways to keep them is to make sure they get to do the very thing they signed up to do, the thing that they love the most, and the whole reason our ensembles exist: Making music! I constantly have to remind myself to talk less and teach more. If you suspect, like so many of us, that your verbal instruction may be getting in the way of making more music and of your students enjoying class more, try these simple strategies: 

  • Instead of telling our students everything we want them to fix during rehearsals, try letting them have one more go to see if they resolve it without your help. I like to say, “Try again; you can do better,” or “I know you’ll do it even better this time.” It is amazing to see what they fix without our help. I recommend trying a 50/50 split at first and then adjusting based on your group (50% of the time give them the feedback needed; 50% just let them try again to see if they might fix it on their own). 
  • When providing feedback, switch from verbal to aural feedback. Model what you want them to do instead of telling them. OR, have a student model what to do differently! This is a great opportunity to encourage student leadership and growth.
  • If you must provide verbal feedback, try speaking in rhythm (as in chant or rap) in order to keep the musical momentum going. This will limit disruptions, increase the flow, and drastically increase the amount of music-making during class!

Do you have your to-do list? Are you ready to test the limits of your own classroom walls? We are so excited for what is to come for your own program, for you, and for the many little worlds you will transform through the incredible work you do every day. Thank you for choosing this field and for your dedication! I am truly in awe of our music educators and of the better world they are creating every single day. Happy Recruiting!

 

Angela Ammerman, called a “music teacher prodigy” by The Washington Post, is a clinician, conductor, author, and educator at George Mason University. Passionate about music education access and recruitment, she leads the Virginia String Teachers Association, founded the Future Music Educators Camp, and hosts the #MusicEdLove podcast.

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