Small 2A school with only one director. 35 kids in HS band. Biggest issue is students do not want to stay (decent program, plenty fun activities). I suspect that it is because the other electives really don't do much but I'm not sure. I'm more interested in how to get parents to convince their kids to stick with something rather than trying to convince the kids. Anyone have some good methods to keep students and parents interested in the program? Any help is appreciated
Re: Retention
Posted by me on 4/12/2024, 10:17 am, in reply to "Retention"
I've been the director of 2A bands with 100 or more. First, we had 8th graders involved and that helped a lot. Band was offered up against limited art spots in those situations and that was the only alternative. That helped a lot. The only problem with having big 2A bands is that you're usually pretty limited in what you can do with them as far as after school practice or harder level literature. I had the mindset of "if I can't get it done in 45 minutes then it doesn't need to be taught to these students." Worked really well for me. A couple of times I fought this concept and didn't get the ratings I wanted. It's always good to remind yourself of this sentence. Fun activites don't matter as much as you think if you're doing a great job of encouraging students during the rehearsals and performances are fun. Remember that band (in itself) is an activity and some parents will get upset with you if you do too many activities outside of band as their student's time is super valuable. Remember that 2A kids in band many times are doing several activities and moms and dads want them to have lives outside of the school building as well. I had 3 state marching contest bands at a 2A to where we only rehearsed 2 times after school. It can be done. Teach your butt off, teach efficiently and make sure you pick stuff that can be taught quick and efficiently and you will have lots of success. If it wasn't for the pay disparity, I'd gladly move back to a 2A sized school. Small school kids are some of the toughest and most resilient you will meet.
Re: Retention
Posted by Pony boy on 4/12/2024, 9:07 am, in reply to "Retention"
We have similar issues, but I've learned a few things over the past 3 years.
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?
Re: Retention
Posted by SouthEast Central on 4/12/2024, 7:32 am, in reply to "Retention"
Consider too the issues with credits.
Athletics only counts once for a kid's GPA in most cases - they take the athletics class their senior year, and then they take it again without credit the rest of the time since you can't repeat the course and Athletics 2-4 don't exist.
That means their overall grades are divided (8 period day times four years) by 29 classes total, instead of 32. A kid in athletics has a legitimate grade point advantage over one in band even if that band kid makes straight As the entire time.
Re: Retention
Posted by I wouldn't on 4/11/2024, 9:20 pm, in reply to "Retention"
Kids who are in an activity because their parents make them will not buy in as much as the kids who are there because THEY want to be. Focus on the kids. Quality matters and I understand wanting numbers but do you really want the kids who don't want to be there half-a&&ing their way through the day?
In my experience the importance of convincing the parents that the kid really can do band and other things including sports and academics was the more important conversation. Parents encourage the students to quit because they fear the time against the academics. Convince the parents kids can do band and other stuff. Convince the kids they want to do band. Don't convince the parents to force their kid to stay in band.
Re: Retention
Posted by who on 4/11/2024, 8:31 pm, in reply to "Retention"
Kids stay in programs because it's fun and rewarding.
Parents keep their kids in programs that they see their kids getting value out of.
**This depends on the community of course but is a decent starting place.