HAT Journal 18

H
 I am not quite sure I agree with the sample recruitment letter in this reading. In band methods, we
were instructed to make recruitment letters easy to read and interesting to look at to get the parent’s
attention. While the reading did mention that it should be printed on brightly colored paper so that it
stands out, the example it gave was still somewhat bland and a lot of information at once. What is
really more important, having an easy to read and attractive letter or a simple and descriptive letter?
 The reading mentions that if students are being used in the recruitment concert that permission slips
should be secured well in advance. I assume this applies to off campus contest and other activates as
well. How far in advance is appropriate? Is this more based on the school system or is there a general
timeframe?
 How might recruitment efforts look different if a principal, for whatever reason, decided that you
cannot conduct a recruitment concert or activates? For example, in the same crazy situation teachers
find themselves in now with most schools on quarantine?
 How might recruitment efforts be different for a teacher looking to start a new orchestra program?
What extra things would the teacher need to consider?
 What extra things would there be to consider for recruiting younger students? From a band
standpoint, we typically recruit around 5th and 6th grade, however with string instruments, you can
recruit much earlier, like the students at Burris. How common is programs with younger students?
 What would a typical school owned instrument rental process look like? My school had an annual fee
of $50. Is this a common rate?
 The chapter discusses a lot about how to get students interested, however or the parent meeting, it
does not mention what the teacher can do to keep the parents interested. I understand that the
student is the main priority, however in some family dynamics I can see the parent’s interest being a
big factor.

A
 I knew gender stereotyping was a thing for band instruments but I honestly did not know there was a
stereotype for string players. This will have to be something I keep in mind for recruiting.
 This chapter included another reminder that the teachers enthusiasm will have an effect on not only
your current students but also on perspective students.
 The students recruiting students approach was an interesting idea that I have not really thought of
before. I can see how it can be beneficial for both the current student and the new student, but it does
mean that there will need to be a lot more supervision on the teachers end of things.
 The reading mentions that a handbook should be handed out at the parent meeting. This means that a
well-developed curriculum and concert dates should be set before this happens. As a new teacher, that
can be a small timeframe, so this was a reminder to have something prepared (I have a rough draft
from a band methods assignment)
 This is somewhat an observation rather than an aha moment. The chapter mentions that students will
usually continue to play their instrument based on the sound quality of the instrument. This means
that the teacher should avoid having students play the same instrument just because their friend does,
they should choose it based on what they like. This was a common issue in my band program.

T
 I like the idea of taking the school’s current recruitment plan and modifying it. This leaves little change
on the side of the administrators and would be a lot easier on the teacher end as well.
 If I am honest, I forgot about individual awards for students. My school did them of course, it just
somewhat slipped my mind. I never personally thought of these awards as a reason why I stayed in
band, however I see how it would make some students want to. I would like do awards for students as
well, especially scholarships. My school had only one music scholarship in place so I would like to be
able to give students more opportunities for financial aid after high school. This of course will depend
on the community, but at the very least I can make an effort to see what I can come up with.
 I like that the chapter mentions that the teacher should allow the perspective students to hear what
each instrument sounds like individually. I can remember feeling overwhelmed at my band recruitment
concert and not being able to pick out certain instruments, leaving me confused. Obviously things
worked out, but I feel like it would have been way more beneficial for us to have heard individual
instruments.
 I have never heard of an exploratory instrumental program. If the opportunity comes up, I would love
to try this at some point. I know that as an elementary student, I would have jumped at this
opportunity.
 Of course, I plan to use social media as a way to recruit students. Something that I saw become popular
towards the end of high school was Instagram pages for band programs run by some of the senior
members. I feel like this could be a tool that could be used for not only recruitment but also a medium
for the general public to see the success of the program.