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Building the Chorus:

Recruiting Techniques that Work

DAVID L . HENSLEY

David Hensley is a retired professor of music and direc- for your choral program.
tor of choral activities at Porterville College (CA) Recruiting techniques are not new. Many of us are, how-
pchensley@yahoo.com ever, out of practice. With input from and observation of
other choral directors, I have compiled a list of successful
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Choral Journal— recruiting methods. These are from the original 1983 ar-
March 1983. The author has included updates that included reaching ticle, with the addition of contemporary strategies useful
out to some of the original contributors. While the focus of this article for 2023. Some may be particular to a specific setting, and
was (and is) on building the secondary-school choral program, many some may not be usable in all situations. This list is in no
of these ideas can be used in any choral setting. way complete; it is offered to stimulate the imagination and
assist in building or rebuilding choral programs affected by
declining numbers of students.
As choral music educators, we are in the business of pro- And remember: Your best recruiter is what you do in
viding an arts-centered program of study to our singers. class every day. If the singers love the music and you lead
Although we are keenly aware of the importance of our them with respect, they will tell their friends. But be care-
program in today’s educational arena, many music pro- ful…they will also tell their friends if the classroom experi-
grams throughout the country are in a re-building mode. ence is negative.
To say choral music didn’t fare well during the pandemic is
only too obvious. The goal of this article is to offer help in One
building (or re-building) a successful choral program. Cho-
ral music often competes with other elective programs for Perform at the feeder schools for the entire student body
student participation, particularly in the secondary schools, (if possible) or at least for the choral classes. This shows off
and strategies for recruitment continue to be important. your students, and you become visible. Allow time for your
Reaching all students in your school or institution should be singers to answer the questions that the younger students
a top priority, and this article presents tried-and-true tech- may raise; this builds rapport.
niques that can help to build a strong foundation of singers

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 3 7 Spring 2023