Monday, September 21, 2020
If you were to ask experienced music students why they continue to participate year after year in the ensembles of their choice, they might share all sorts of reasons apart from any having to do with music-making specifically. For example, before we hear "I love to play my instrument," we might hear students say that they enjoy the experiences that result in meaningful memories, or that band is like a family, or that it provides them with a needed break in the day from their other academic classes. At the heart of all of these reasons is the enjoyment they get from making music with others! THIS is what brings them such joy. Take away the music-making and the fellowship that is derived from it, and everything else disappears.
Once again this year, directors have worked to engage yet another class of beginning students who are excited to play because it looks like fun--and IT IS! However, that level of excitement can begin to wane unless our newest musicians are provided with rewarding music-making experiences with their peers early in the year. This particular year has presented many challenges but there are ways to provide fun and gratifying music-making experiences that will keep them coming back for more. Below are a few ideas that will serve to generate enthusiasm on the part of your beginners--even this year!
Lean on Your Leaders to Help Beginning Students
Take advantage of the fact that young students want to be like their "cool" older peers, and pair up your beginning players with more experienced players. Work with the feeder high school or engage the more advanced players in your middle school program. Divide up the names of the beginning students according to instrument type and share them out with the older students of that same instrument. Have the older student write a "Welcome to Band/Orchestra" email or snail mail note to the younger student. You may need to write out the actual content of the brief note (and how the note should be addressed and signed), but that's part of the learning process and it helps to ensure that the message that you want to get out is the one that gets through to your "newbies." Think of how excited the beginning students will be to get such a note from one of their older music-making peers! It's important for beginning students to receive ongoing support from you as well as their more experienced peers so look for opportunities for these two groups to engage with each other as often as possible.
In addition to stirring the excitement level of the beginners, the above activity also helps to develop leadership skills in your veteran players--skills that will serve them well throughout life. Any time students are engaged actively in the inner workings of the organization of the ensemble, it increases buy-in and improves retention.
Provide Group Music-Making Experiences Early and Often
There are a number of apps that have surfaced to assist in providing an opportunity for students to make music together including Our Virtual Ensemble and Acapella but UpbeatMusicApp.com is one of the newcomers so be sure to check them out. The program allows students to create live recordings in a real-time setting. An MP4 is created upon completion. Have your beginners partner up to practice their parts together then ask them to send you a video of them playing together. Not only does this make practicing much more fun but it is a great way to assess their progress. Don't forget to encourage your students to share videos of them playing with family members who may be from out of town. There's not a better, more forgiving audience!
Participate in the Virtual First Performance National Day of Celebration
One of the biggest secrets to retaining those students we have worked so diligently to enroll is to get them performing as soon as possible and keep them performing as often as possible--even in a year like this one, with its numerous challenges!
The Music Achievement Council has responded by providing the Virtual First Performance National Day of Celebration which is currently in production and will soon be available to download for free from MusicAchievementCouncil.org. This special "virtual" edition is being provided as an opportunity for beginning students to perform in that first concert early in the year even if attending school in a 100% virtual environment. Hal Leonard will be providing PDFs of the parts that directors will be able to download and share with students. For added support, Hal Leonard will also provide the audio recordings for students to play along with during their performance.
The entire event will be pre-recorded and uploaded to YouTube to be accessed and implemented whenever directors choose--ideally within the first 8 to 10 weeks of school. It couldn't be easier. Students will log into the YouTube site provided to them by their director and simply play along in front of family members at home or at the location of their choice.
Joe Lamond, President and CEO of NAMM, will provide opening remarks at the concert; Marcia Neel, Senior Director of Education at Yamaha Corporation, will serve as emcee; and Dr. Charles Menghini, President Emeritus of VanderCook College of Music, will serve as conductor.
To recognize the participation of their students, directors will have access to editable Certificates of Advancement that can be downloaded, completed, and emailed to students to mark their participation in this very special event--their First Performance Concert.
According to a post on the SmartMusic Music Educator blog called "'I'm Quitting Band!' Why Students Leave, and What You Can Do" by Wendy Barden, the number one reason students quit is because "I don't like to play my instrument." No matter how we do it, it's important this year--more than any other--to celebrate our beginning students and provide them with a myriad of opportunities to fall in love with their instrument as they discover and experience the joy of music-making with others.
| Marcia is president of Music Education Consultants, Inc., and serves as senior director of education at Yamaha Corporation of America. |
| (417) 882-7000 | (573) 256-5555 | (816) 792-8301 |
| (417) 781-3100 | (405) 896-8111 | (479) 464-8877 |
| (918) 286-1555 | (636) 229-1904 | (417) 882-7000 |