Transcript Chapter 2: Recruiting and Retaining Beginning Students

Recruitment Strategies:
-Gather information – adequate and accurate information about
a child’s aptitude for music, and to use that information to
counsel the child and parents concerning the child’s potential
for success in instrumental music.
-Information gathered is used only to provide a
professional evaluation of the opportunity for success
in music-never used to eliminate students from the
instrumental music program!
-Recruiting students for beginning instrument music classes is
extremely important for the long-term success of all school
instrumental music programs.
-Who will do it? You or the music store? Who has more at
stake?
Communication :
-Key to successful recruiting
-It’s vital to the success of your program.
-Well informed people have a sense of assurance and trust!
Who?
-Administration
Imperative that the building principal be “on your team.” They are in charge of the budget,
scheduling and the total well being of all the students. They will be the first to answer to a
parent in crisis!
-Teachers
Classroom teachers have important impact in the sense that their attitude toward you and
the program will affect the attitudes of their students. Plus you are at their mercy when it
comes to “Pullout” lessons!
Memo page 21.
-Parents
Probably the most influential person in the life of elementary school students. Parents
who are knowledgeable and involved in that program will support that program.
Keep parents thoroughly involved:
CHOIR
DIRECTOR'S
DIRECTOR'S
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION KIT - MAC
KITComposer: Tim Lautzenheiser
FORMAT
Book/CD-ROM
www.halleonard.com
Includes over 35 sample
letters, brochures, and vital
data for parents and
administrators on
computer disk! Edit,
personalize, and mail
merge while saving
valuable time. Disk
includes “text only” files in
either Macintosh or MSDOS compatible formats. A
must for every band
director!
DIRECTOR'S
COMMUNICATION
KIT - MS-DOS
FORMAT
HIGH SCHOOL
DIRECTOR'S
COMMUNICATION
KIT - MAC
FORMAT
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS 2000
BAND DIRECTORS
COMMUNICATION
KIT - CD-ROM
ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS FOR
STRINGS
ORCHESTRA
DIRECTORS
COMMUNICATION
KIT
Communication:
-Carefully and clearly written
-Should be factually accurate
-Free of spelling or grammatical errors
-Positive in character
-Concise! Not wordy or philosophical
-Program should start at the beginning of the year, not wait till marching
band or other things get done.
-Recruitment preparation should be ready to go when needed. Whether
testing or gathering data of any sort.
-Class meeting should start right away so everyone gets used to this
time.
-letter pg 23
-Simple data gathering note, pg 24
Data Gathering
-Data gathering consists of two parts:
I. Data gathering
A. Aptitude, academic achievement
1. Froseth says, “Relationship between
academic aptitude and musical success
2. not to be used as primary data
B. Timbre preference
1. ITPT – Timbre Preference Test.
2. MAP – Musical Aptitude Profile
-Results of both of these should be used when collecting data.
-Remember, no matter what….ALL WHO WANT TO PLAY
SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY!!!!
Data Gathering
-Data gathering consists of two parts:
II. Recruitment activities
A. Demonstration of instruments is the most crucial.
1. Be enthusiastic
2. Plan, plan, plan!
3. Do a instrumentation analysis, pg 26.
a. Plan for instrument balance
b. Enact it carefully!
c. It enhances the experience.
4. Ask students for their 3 top instrument
picks.
5. Take in to account their TP scores.
6. Have short conferences with parents to put
them in the right direction
Data Gathering
Conferences
Time to guide the parents and the student to the right choice.
-Take in to consideration their physical set up
-Their TP test score
-Balance of program (25 drummers!!!)
-Pg. 23 letter be sent 2-3 weeks before conference.
B. Concert By upper classmen band
RECRUITMENT NIGHT!!!!!!!! YEAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Data Gathering
RECRUITMENT NIGHT!!!!!!!! YEAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Thank your principle
-Introduce any classroom teachers or other administrators.
-Briefly state goals and philosophy of the beginning instrumental music program
-Brief comments about recent studies identifying the many positive benefits of
instrumental music study.
-Discuss recruiting activities already held
-The starting date for instruction and major events for the year
-A list of options for securing instruments in your community
-A list of the method books students will need to purchase and where they are
available
- An opportunity for parents questions
-A demonstration of the instruments for parents, along with showing any recruiting
film you used with students
-An invitation to schedule an individual appointment if needed
-A thank you to everyone for attending the meeting!
Data Gathering
RECRUITMENT NIGHT!!!!!!!! YEAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Talk to parents about their role as encourager.
-Ask them to give positive comments about child’s progress.
-Ask them to attend child’s performances.
-Talk about importance of folding music stand for home
practice, and a quiet space for regular practice.
-Encourage child to handle instrument carefully and
maintain properly.
-Make sure to call parents of those who scored high on aptitude tests. These
may be your best musicians.
-Follow up letter is in order to parents.
Tim Lautzenheiser(1993) writes that “Recruitment is the most critical part of
any program. Period. It is to a band what a foundation is to a building.”
Data Gathering
Tim Lautzenheiser(1993) writes that “Recruitment is the most critical part of
any program. Period. It is to a band what a foundation is to a building.”
Other Resources:
NABIM Recruiting Manual
by James Froseth (published by the National Association of Band
Instrument Manufacturers, Inc.) out of print.
Director’s Communication Kit’s
by Tim Lautzenheiser (published by Hal Leonard Corp.)
Aptitude Testing
Define:
-Music aptitude tests measure the potential a student may possess to
achieve in music.
-Music achievement tests measure the skills and understanding that
a student has achieved in music as a result of their aptitude (or
potential) and experience in music – it is a measure of their current
musical status.
-Both types of tests are of benefit for you, the student and the
parents. Results of these types of tests will enable you to o three
things:
1. Plan instruction (based on identified strengths and
weaknesses)
2. Counsel the student and parents about musical
involvement.
3. Evaluate your own instructional program and teaching
methods.
Aptitude Testing
Three of the main tests:
1. Seashore Measures of Musical Talent (the first standardized music
aptitude test, pub. 1919 and rev. 1939, 1956 and 1960)
2. The Drake Musical Aptitude Test (1954 and 1957)
3. Musical Aptitude Profile by Edwin Gordon, pub 1965.
Issues: -Cost
-Ease of administration and correction
-Time required to administer
-Logic of test layout
-Understandability of directions
Student Retention
-Have realistic expectations about your program
-Choices are a natural part of life, kids need to make them just like
me and you! It’s not the end of the world!
-Some students personal interests change.
-You should control those issues in which you have influence!!!!!!
-Instrumental music class should not meet during, gym, study hall,
lunch, activity period! You force students to make choices and they
may not make the one you want!!
There are two things in which you have total control………..
Your Attitude and Behavior!
Student Retention
-Help parents realize that their patient, consistent encouragement is
crucial, since most children will go through brief periods of discouragement
in the beginning.
Two other factors of retention:
-The beginning class must inspire a sense of progress and value, and
it must be that they are learning and becoming more skilled on their
instruments, will develop a sense of enjoyment about instrumental music.
To read:
Pg. 36 last paragraph!