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Building the Chorus: Recruiting Techniques that Work

Two Five

Build a positive rapport with the counselors on your Personally contact members of the feeder school choir
campus and at the feeder schools. Give them free tickets by phone, letter, text, or email. Often a student who is
to concerts; do what is necessary to “keep them on your undecided can be persuaded to join choir simply if they
side.” They can be especially helpful in scheduling students know you are interested in them. Be aware that due to pri-
who are new to the campus into your classes. In this era of vacy laws, many school systems may not disclose specific
almost universal computer-based scheduling, having unfet- contact information, but you can still contact the choral
tered access to students has become more difficult. Keeping teacher at the feeder school to share information. Stu-
communication lines open with counselors and administra- dents need to be made to feel important and wanted.
tors can make or break a choral program. One suggestion is
to create a flow chart where students can see “a roadmap” Six
through four years with potential AP classes, sports, and
music courses fleshed out. Being able to show parents and Ask for information about your choir to be included in
students how it’s possible to “do it all” is really important. the school’s monthly or weekly newsletter, and in any pre-
registration information before the new school year. You
Three may be able to announce audition times, rehearsal and rec-
reational activities, parties, concert dates and other attrac-
Posters on campus can be used effectively to announce tive aspects of your program.
performances or auditions for next semester’s groups. Spare
no effort; the result is visibility! Access to modern graphics Seven
through apps such as Canva (there is a free version or a
paid upgrade) provides variety and photographic quality When you meet a new student, avoid the “scary” word
posters. If you are permitted, include pictures of students audition, especially for those in younger ensembles. Take the
at your school as choir members, as this can bring their student to a piano and do a simple range-check. Now they
friends into your chorus—just make sure you have student, know what part they would sing if they were interested.
parent, and school permission to use the photo. Offer opportunity…encouragement…praise…confidence.
Often a fine voice is discovered by accident. Try to cause
Four these accidents!

Offer activities at lunchtime in your classroom such as Eight
barbershop singing, folk song or popular music singing, ka-
raoke singing, or even music listening on your stereo fol- Make your on-campus concerts visible to the entire stu-
lowed by conversation. Do these on a regular basis so that dent body. Sing a number or two for assemblies, at lunch-
your students and those who are not currently enrolled in time in the cafeteria, before home games, or wherever ap-
choir begin to feel comfortable in the choir room (this is a propriate and visible to other students. Seeing their friends
good place to add that you should work to keep your choir often makes a favorable impression.
room clean, neat, and inviting to one and all). This may
mean sacrifice, but it really isn’t bad to eat your lunch in the Nine
choir room (and the conversation is often more interesting
than in the teachers’ lounge). Again, this shows your inter- Make yourself visible on campus. This is often some-
est in the students. thing we think we are doing, but are we? Do we attend as-
semblies? Do we go to the games? Do we act as chaperones
for dances and other events? Can prospective and current
students see us having fun at school events, or do we anony-
mously stay in our classroom, out of sight and out of mind?

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 3 8 Spring 2023