Retention Strategies by William W. Gourley There are many aspects of the music educator s profession, two of which are the very lifeblood of a successful music program, recruiting and retention of students. Band and orchestra directors are drawn to the profession by a combination of a love for performance, a passion for teaching and, to some extent, the enjoyment we experienced in our years in the music program when we were in school. It is unlikely we found our passion in the joys of recruiting and then the challenges of retention. Both of these tasks are challenging but arguably retention is the greater of the two. The excitement that is generated by the prospect of playing music on a new instrument in the orchestra or band in a great looking uniform creates an intoxicating synergy to join. It doesn t take long for the excitement to wane once the realization sinks in that it is going to take a while to develop the skills required to play well enough to enjoy those things that draw the student into the program. Keeping students in the seats, retention, is more difficult than getting them in the seats. Retention is often perceived as an impossible goblin to control. We know how to teach technical facility, articulations, rhythm reading, etc. There are strategies and technique books that can guide us through the processes to cope effectively with the pedagogical aspects of performance. There are no lessons we can incorporate into the warm-up of the ensemble that will foster retention. However, there are everyday strategies we can incorporate into our teaching that will enhance overall retention whether it is at the beginning, intermediate or advance levels. Passion First of all, we need to understand that successful retention is more the result of how we teach not what we teach. This is not to dismiss the value of the mastery of the fundamental skills necessary for great performances. There are many wonderful ensembles in schools that only represent 5% of the student body. Their festival and concert performances may be top notch but far too few students in the school are experiencing the advantages of performing in an ensemble. On the other hand, there are schools whose ensembles perform adequately, not stellar, yet they have great participation in the program. The ideal world is one in which great performances derived from what we teach are coupled with high enrollment as a result of how we teach. How we teach is infectious, it inspires or un-inspires. Either way it infects the students for better or worse. Think back over your educational years to the classes you found most fulfilling and you will find they were taught by teachers that were passionate about teaching, about students and about their subject. The room was filled with the teacher s unbridled energy to share their passion for the subject. Whether it was an elementary teacher, a middle school history teacher or school band or orchestra director; it was their passion and joy for
teaching that distinguished the class from the others. Without this fundamental ingredient it is unlikely retention rates will be realized to their fullest potential. How that passion is communicated will vary according to one s personality. The commonalities of that expression are the depth of joy we communicate as students gain mastery of skills, no matter how small or basic the gains may be, and continually sharing the joy of making music we have experienced as we guide students to discover the treasures in every note, measure, phrase, melody or harmonic progression in a composition. There is no greater tool in our efforts to keep students in the music program than our passion for teaching and music. The more opportunities students have to experience your joy, the more likely they will want to keep returning day after day and year after year to your program. Let Them Play-Teach Fundamental Skills The real joy of playing in an ensemble is playing the music. I don t know anyone who decided to play an instrument because they enjoyed trudging through scales, long tones, tonguing or bowing exercises. However, we know that the greater our mastery of the fundamental skills of music making the easier it is to perform the music. We need to keep the introduction of new skills balanced with the need to devote time to more review and reinforcement of learned skills. Every class period needs to include the review of basic skills including; tone studies, scales, articulation exercises, intonation and rhythm studies. Good musicianship is the result of the acquisition and maintenance of core pedagogical skills. These skills will allow the ensemble to spend more time rehearsing the music at a more sophisticated level instead of bogging down rote teaching and drilling sections of the music. In first year classes spend a considerable portion of the class period playing material the students have mastered. Including material originally taught one or two months ago reinforces the students skills and keeps the pace of the class at a high level which is motivating. The last 10% of the class period should include familiar songs from the book the students enjoy playing to leave the class with a good feeling. Advancing students need to review continually the basic music making skills. Too often we can be guilty of introducing a concept and reinforce it for a week but fail to review the concept on a regular basis throughout the year. An example would be the teaching of a rhythm concept that included rests or a dotted pattern that is refined over the week and then we move on and never review this concept throughout the year. It is important to continue to include the concept on a regular basis regardless of how simple it may be. This keeps the pace moving and will allow students to gain confidence and proficiency in the performance of the concept, both of which transfer to a feeling of accomplishment on a regular basis.
A large part of letting them play is the selection of appropriate literature for the ensemble. Music should reflect the skills the students have attained to reinforce the concepts. Basically, the ensemble should be able to play 80% of the composition at a reasonably proficient level on the first reading. Selecting literature to stretch the ensemble is not conducive to creating a feeling of confidence and accomplishment in the students. If the students find they are constantly being defeated by the music they become frustrated with their abilities and decide playing in the band or orchestra is not for them. If we want to stretch the students abilities we need to be sure we are refining and stretching acquired skills to a more proficient level. For example, if we want students to learn how to double-tongue we should not put a composition in front of them and expect them to perform the selection within the month or so of rehearsals having never studied double-tonguing before. Tonguing, bowing, range and other concepts take time to develop and these skills need to be taught, reinforced and reviewed as part of the pedagogical development of the students, then applied to the music. To do otherwise will most likely result in an inadequate performance by the students and lead to disenchantment with the music program. If students have sound fundamental skills and we pick appropriate literature that refines and showcases these skills, we will be able to let them play. This will create a positive attitude that will translate into better retention numbers. Our students need plenty of opportunities to showcase their talents. Playing two or three concerts a year means there is going to be a great deal of time spent on a few tunes during the year. It is easy to understand why students become bored with the class. Can you imagine any athletic team practicing all year long and only playing two games? We need to find opportunities for our students to enjoy the reason they joined in the first place, to perform. High school students have many opportunities to perform throughout the year. Marching band, concert band, orchestra, fiddle ensembles, jazz band, pep band, honor ensembles, solo and ensemble; the list is endless. Beginning and intermediate students have fewer opportunities. A short list of other performance opportunities might include: Schedule a short (thirty-minute) concert for your beginning students within the first eight weeks. Enlist the help of some of your older students to rote teach three to five simple unison melodies and give a demonstration concert utilizing a synthesized or live accompaniment. Have the older students sit in on the concert to play along with the beginners. Have students, beginning and intermediate, perform in small ensembles at open houses, parent-teacher conferences, senior citizen venues, etc. Allowing beginning students to join with two or three friends to play Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, etc. at these events will enhance the music program s exposure and value to the community and your administrators, as well as offer another opportunity for the younger students to perform.
Smaller schools often have concerts that include all the ensembles. Find a couple grade one arrangements that the intermediate and advanced groups can sight read and put everyone together for a grand finale at concerts. Senior citizen venues are a great place to have smaller ensembles perform. A short forty-minute program is ideal benefitting the students, senior citizens and it enhances the value of the school district and the music program to the community. Recognition Students need to receive recognition of their efforts and to know the ensemble is an important part of the school. There are not too many local newspapers that follow the music program. People are more interested in how the school s teams are doing against their archrivals. We need to be pro-active in promoting students activities and accomplishments in the music program. Designate a music parent or journalism student to act as your PR agent. Local newspapers in smaller communities have a difficult time getting to all the events in the schools and welcome photos of students along with a short caption. Close-up pictures of two or three students performing at any the venues listed above are a wonderful way to showcase the students and the program. School newsletters are another venue looking for articles and pictures featuring students in action. Again, administrators are constantly asking for articles and pictures for these publications. Close-up photos of students at festivals, concerts, pep bands, jazz band or fiddle club rehearsals preparing for a performance are opportunities to showcase students and upcoming performances. Performing for large crowds is one of the most overlooked motivational tools we have available to us. Try to encourage an audience that reaches beyond parents and grandparents of ensemble members. Find a parent who can take a little time to create a simple concert poster to be posted in grocery stores, pharmacies, senior centers, churches, synagogues and temples. These are the high traffic areas in the community. Here are a couple thoughts regarding a concert poster. Use letter or legal sized brightly colored paper. Most stores are happy to support your program as long as the poster is not too large. Secondly, create a template for the poster with a logo and use it for every concert. Over time you will develop brand recognition with your potential audience and they will be able to recognize the poster among all the other announcements. A template also makes it easier for the parent in charge of the posters. All they need to do is put the title of the concert, time, date and place on it and print them. There are less public motivational tools we can use daily in the classroom. Wall charts that track student achievement Stickers that can be put in the method book for an exercise performed well Badges, medals or certificates awarded as students earn a certain number of points from practice cards, playing tests, bonus points, etc. Bonus stars or points given for exceptional work
Musician of the day or week awards Contact parents when a student does well Toys or trinkets for a job well done (check your local dollar store) The demand on the time of music educators is monumental and the need to prepare for performances tends to focus our energies away from the vital areas or recruiting and retention in the lower grades. Unfortunately, failure to focus on the very foundation of the music program will result in fewer students participating in ensembles at the advanced level. Creating a retention strategy can help grow the music program and will produce a dynamic environment to foster continued participation in the band and orchestra.