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Repertoire & Resources : Two-Year College Choirs

• Frequent turnover of singers in two-year college choirs, ing and reviewing curriculum to align with the first two
which hinders choral experience growth before trans- years of nearby four-year degrees. Accreditation with
fer. the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
can ensure the program meets national standards and
• Inconsistent transfer articulations between institutions. facilitates seamless student transfer. The academic and
career guidance community college students receive is
• Difficulty acclimating to a new cultural environment. critical, and conductors at four-year programs who are
familiar with curriculum at both institutions, and who
establish early recruitment relationships, will ensure fu-
Shifting Perspectives ture success.
As our environment in higher education expands, the Most significantly, the mindset of the transferring stu-
key to addressing these challenges is the need for con- dent is one of the most important indicators of future
ductors and students to shift their mindset. When con- success. Disproportionately impacted students are most
ductors shift toward asset-based thinking and away from successful when instructors use interventions that aid
deficit-based thinking, they see their local community students in developing a “growth mindset.”
colleges as valuable resources that can enrich, expand,
and challenge their programs. That perspective also
changes traditional recruitment processes. In addition Creating Meaningful Change
to recruiting traditional voice majors, conductors should Making a shift our mindset also means changing how
include opportunities to discover students who show po- we do things. Below are some ideas university conduc-
tential as music educators (not always demonstrated in a tors can implement to support transferring students:
sightreading exercise), who bring expertise in other lan-
guages and musical genres (not always apparent in an art • Structured orientation for transfer students: Take time to iden-
song performance), and who bring special life skills and tify what a new student can expect to experience in
experience (not always apparent on a transcript). your ensemble and clearly communicate expectations
As postsecondary enrollment trends continue to for upperclassmen.
evolve, even traditional recruitment models at four-year
institutions may inadvertently overlook some community • Peer mentoring: Student leaders in choirs may not always
college populations. For example, a traditional audition be older than incoming transfer students, so consider
might only happen on one long, on-campus day, which matching students with peers who share other demo-
can be challenging for working students or caregivers to graphics or backgrounds.
attend. University conductors could recruit a broader
cohort of music students by encouraging expanded stu- • Modification, not remediation: Isolating transfer students
dent chapter activities to include interested community in remedial coursework is usually not as effective as
college students and establish a relationship long before finding ways to support singers within the ensemble
a vocal audition. through structured or small-group work.
Some university conductors we spoke with already
have fruitful relationships with their community college • Articulation agreements: Reach out to community college
conducting peers. They collaborate in joint concerts and colleagues for specific degree plans, and advocate for
tours, and invite their colleagues as judges, clinicians, articulation between colleges and universities.
and guest presenters in their classes. Beyond viewing the
local community college solely for recruitment, these • Collaborative opportunities: Find ways to work with other
four-year conductors recognize the wealth of knowledge institutions and choral organizations such as sharing
and experience in their peers. The choral faculty at all resources and performances spaces.
institutions must be persistent and intentional in design-

28 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2026 Volume 66 Number 8