You never know what a student will hold or latch onto. When I have sectionals with our 6th graders, I always show them recordings of world-class musicians who play their instruments--and it immediately makes a palpable difference in their curiosity regarding music and their instrument. Also, I share news about the high school band with the 6th grade and MS band. This keeps them thinking long term about their possible involvement when they move up. The younger band students get very excited when I tell them the HS band performed and got BBQ last Saturday or that we just scheduled our leadership clinic for our high school band officers and booked a cool AirBnb to host our clinician and workshop.
As I've become a better director, I've noticed students have become more attentive and more invested in what I'm teaching. Make sure to invest in yourself. If you're teaching grade 1s and 2s, make sure you are studying grade 5s. Stay inspired and stay enthusiastic. Make sure you are demonstrating on as many instruments as you can week-to-week. They like to hear us playing the same things they play.
The longer I teach, the more I start to think that the annual band trip and fun activity things don't matter much in the long run. Sure, it's fun. But it's not why our best students stay in band.
I know it's not as easy as having a huge program, but you can a lot with a band of 35. A mentor of mine told me that there are no secrets--you just need to teach the snot out of those kids. If you need support, go to your principals and explain that you need "tutoring" sectional time with certain kids. Explain that it's your job as a band director to give those kids what they need, and what they need is more small group time with you during study hall/homeroom or after school.
I find that planning concert programs or marching shows about 6 months out helps a ton. I have to make sacrifices in certain places to gain advantages in others and it takes time to make those decisions confidently.
How is your beginner class split if at all? Ours is totally heterogenous.
Are you near any larger towns with universities?
Do you have homeroom/study hall every day?
How is your band booster program? We have very few parents involved but we raise more funds than what the district gives us every year.
Have you made inroads with any local orgs like Lions or Rotary Club?
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