Band Recruitment

Now this is a big topic for band directors everywhere. Bands are shrinking in size everywhere. With a few exceptions bands are becoming smaller. This is true of even the traditional power house bands of just a few years ago. Why? There is not clear reason but I will present a few theories of my own.

1. There is just more to do in today's world. The students have a multitude of other activities in which to participate. Many students like to participate in a lot of activities at once. I call it a "A Jack of All Trades" and unfortunately, in most cases, a master of none.

2. Jobs can be a factor as well. Many students feel like they must have a part time job in order to support their "stuff". I drove an Escort station wagon in high school. I didn't need a job. It got about 35 miles to the gallon and gas was a $1.00 a gallon.

3. Band is hard. To have a successful band it takes a lot of hard work. Some students would just rather not "put up" with a director that pushes them. There are easier things to do than be proficient on a musical instrument.

Many people offer solutions to these problems. Such as cutting back on practice time to accommodate more students that have other activities going on and to allow more time for part time jobs. I can not do this as it will have an negative affect on the students that really want to succeed.

I have throughout my career as a band director often been confronted with parents and other people that say I just expect too much from my students and perhaps I make some of them quit because I am just too hard. This may be true but in most cases the students would not have it any other way. I can't stand to see the ones that want "it" more than anything to fail because of lack of commitment from others. So for me, I will continue to expect perfection.

My answer to recruitment problems are simple. Develop a band program in which everybody can be proud to be a part. Push students, parents, and administrators to expect top results and then produce them. I believe that the right students will always want to be a part of well rounded and success driven group. For this reason I will continue to do it "my way". Sure it may be the end of me one day but it has not seemed to fail me yet. Perhaps at Swansea, we can go against the flow and continue to grow in not only success but also in size too.