Rebuilding through a Pandemic

The past year has been challenging for everyone. As this new year begins, know that most teachers will be rebuilding their program. String teachers have experienced reduced numbers, lost instructional time, and setbacks from virtual learning. As your program’s leader, this year’s assignment is to have hope and believe in the future of the program. It is crucial to stay focused and keep the big picture in the forefront. Now is the time to start the rebuilding process. We are all in this together, and you can do this. The priorities for this new year are making great music, retention, recruiting, and advocacy. These are the medicines that will help us nurse our programs and ourselves back to health.

Reframing

Imagine it is a football team’s last game of the season. After two championship runs back-to-back, the senior-dominated football team takes its last huddle and leads their school to victory. After celebrations and hand shaking are over, the defensive coordinator asks the head coach, “What is your plan for rebuilding this team?” Well, orchestra director, what is your plan for rebuilding your team? Most of us are entering into a year with smaller class sizes, classes of under-practiced, under-rehearsed students, and some of us will be starting two years’ worth of beginners. Like the football coach, our priorities and focus will need to be different. For most of us, this was not a championship kind of season, so in what new ways can we celebrate growth and accomplishment? What are our new goals? Many of us have started and built programs before. What did we do then that could work again now? What are your rebuilding plans?

The strategies needed to rebuild require challenging and intentional work. This is a great opportunity for reimagining, revitalization, growth, and change. Remember, things do not necessarily have to go back to the way they were. This is an opportunity to look at innovative ways to structure your program.

Acknowledging the Impact of the Pandemic

It is necessary to acknowledge last year was difficult for both teachers and students. Mourning the loss of normalcy and accepting the toll it took help us grieve the losses and challenges, which allow us to move forward to create a bright future. We cannot control or change the past; however, we can focus on the things we do have control of in our new reality. For example, the number of students who were unable to play in orchestra last year was out of our control, but we can decide how to teach the students who are in front of us now. We could not change directives from the state or county offices, but we can control our actions, words, reactions, and how we take care of ourselves. Although it was challenging, many teachers found brilliant ways to make music with students in very different situations, including through technology such as Zoom, Virtual Concerts, FlipGrid, Bitmoji Classrooms, Upbeat, and more. We can surround ourselves with positive teachers, adjust our expectations, make a new plan, and move forward. We can each become a Rebuilding Year Coach!

“The priorities for this new year are making great music, retention, recruiting, and advocacy. These are the medicines that will help us nurse our programs and ourselves back to health.”

Transitioning with Social-Emotional Awareness

Students will be returning to us from a variety of learning experiences which will look different for each school district. We need to adjust our expectations and plans. Remember to start with making music right away. Scott Edgar argues that making music together is a powerful social experience (Edgar 2017, 25). Students want to be a part of something bigger than themselves and work together toward goals. Setting the stage for all to feel musically connected can be as simple as talking about what the ensemble has accomplished the past few weeks and where it is headed the next month. Each ensemble can brainstorm creative and motivating goals together.

Also include activities that will help your students connect with each other and get excited about music. Students missed out on many team-building events such as special performances, field trips, guest artists, fundraisers, and concerts. A simple short game at the end of a class can rebuild connections. Relay Races by section, Two Truths and a Lie, Orchestra Olympics, and Would You Rather are all favorites of our students.

We can also provide Social-Emotional Learning opportunities through musical activities we already use. Play a scale or excerpt with different emotions or story lines. Celebrate and show examples of how musicians adapted, preserved, and shared their music throughout the pandemic. Simply give students time to talk to each other and process their experiences. Use pair and share talking prompts such as “What did you miss most about in-person school? How did the pandemic change us for the better?” These simple connections will propel us into deeper relationships with our students, develop stronger unity as an ensemble, and create emotive musicians, which will help students transition back to the classroom this fall. Music teachers do many of these things already which is one reason students love orchestra. Edgar (2017, 24) states,

Students value the social, musical, and emotional elements of participation in music classrooms. Whether they influence students’ future career choices or provide a “home away from home,” music teachers are intricately involved in the social and emotional lives of their students. This suggests music teachers could be a valuable asset in helping students gain social and emotional competency.

Together we can use our orchestra classes to help students transition back to in-person school and cope with the effects of the pandemic.

Quality Musical Experiences

Many students stay in orchestra because they are looking for meaningful music-making experiences. This needs to remain a high priority though we may need to adjust our technical benchmarks and repertoire levels to ensure musically rewarding experiences for our rebuilding year. The goal is to get them looking and sounding good on something no matter what level it is. Many students may have lost technical ability, music reading skills, or repertoire experience, and if we push through our “normal” curriculum, we risk losing them. If students are not in the class, they will not reap the benefits of a musical education. Focus on making music and creating a successful experience so students stay engaged. We can always increase technical and repertoire levels at a later time. Success breeds success.

Many teachers used melodies while teaching virtually instead of focusing on ensemble playing. Tune-based teaching at all levels is effective for motivation and technical development, including bow arm development, dexterity advancement for all members of the ensemble, and aural development. Tune-based teaching can also bridge the gap between virtual learning and in-person learning by providing accessible opportunities for differentiation. Differentiation is helpful if you have beginners with your second-year players or returning students at varying levels. A helpful strategy is to teach the entire class a melody and then add an easier accompaniment and/or a harder variation part to make an arrangement that works for every level in your class. Eclectic styles of music can provide multi-leveled parts with tunes, harmony, variations, and bass lines that can be played by all. There are many resources on the market for ensembles with unique instrumentation such as flexible ensemble arrangements. Additional differentiation strategies for giving more advanced students alternate ways to play an excerpt include changing the octave, complicating bowings, and additional shifting. Make sure classes are musically rewarding because great music-making is the foundation for rebuilding a program.

Retention

Retention is impacted by what we do every day. Quality instruction is the first ingredient for good retention because it leads to musical growth, engaging rehearsals, high-level music-making, and successful performances. Carefully selected music that is interesting and engaging for students is a major hook. Do not be afraid to include a variety of styles of music while rebuilding.

One-on-one conversations about staying in orchestra are an important retention strategy that helps both the teacher and the student understand each other’s perspective. Maintain a list of those who are staying and leaving. Engage those who are leaving with a one-on-one. Remind them orchestra is not normal right now, but better times will return and there are goals to be accomplished in the meantime. Encourage them to wait it out despite the challenges. A conversation will make you aware of any concerns they have and may convince them to continue playing. If they drop out, encourage them to visit often and make sure they are always welcome in the orchestra room. Re-recruit and invite students who have dropped out during the pandemic to rejoin orchestra even if this is not your typical policy. This could make a big difference in your program and in the lives of students.

For beginners, remember to focus on playing their instruments. When starting, focus on learning by rote, good posture, position, and tone, and it will be easy to build music reading skills later. If you have a variety of abilities in a single classroom, experiment with existing differentiation strategies and materials.

For middle schoolers, remember to bring out the playful side of your personality even though we are still living in a stressful situation. This new year will also require more effort to retain students as they move from one building to the next. Older students can make videos or send letters to the younger students. It might be easy to have the high school teacher and students talk to the middle school classes through a digital meeting space such as Zoom, Webex, or Google Meet. Have students help and lead aspects of the recruiting and rebuilding plan. They can help create social media posts, develop posters, talk with other students, and personally invite students to join orchestra class.

And for high schoolers, schedule activities as restrictions allow. They love to go on adventures together, watch concerts, write letters, and hang out. Have guest artists perform virtually for the orchestra. When live performances are commonplace again in your region, attending a concert together is a fantastic way to celebrate and move forward after the pandemic. Setting a musical goal as a group can help propel students forward. Let students help design a celebration after the first concert or a new concert structure.

Recruiting Structure for Beginners

There are many articles, ideas, and structures for recruiting beginners. You must find what works best for your school and might need to adapt your typical recruiting strategies. As you consider your best options, it is important to be flexible and think outside of the box to use every opportunity to recruit as many beginners as possible. Focus on the exciting opportunity for students to play a stringed instrument rather than any loss that has occurred due to the pandemic.

Recruiting midyear should be considered because family and school situations will continue to change and evolve. It is possible to start additional beginners a year late. Remember to be creative and use leaders in the class or high school mentors to help beginners get started. Re-recruiting will help music classes return to their normal size. Smaller music classes can cause scheduling issues in the rest of the building. Consider starting a new class of beginners even at the middle or high school level. Financial need might be a concern, so including information about school instrument availability or financial aid can make a huge difference in the number of students signing up for orchestra.

Communication overload resulting in missed messages is real, so using as many modes of communication as possible will be necessary to reach our potential students’ families. Extra recruiting strategies could include morning announcements, program brochures, additional email communication, elementary music teachers encouraging students to join orchestra, school newsletters, videos, and social media. It can include every secondary string student reaching out to a few younger students and encouraging them to join orchestra. This could happen by video, phone calls, or in-person visits, as your school allows. This is the year to be extra present by visiting with students at lunch or in the hallways. The Marketing Rule of Seven has been used since the 1930s and author Jonathan Hedger (2019) writes, “The rule of seven quite simply states that it takes an average of seven interactions with your brand before a purchase will take place.” One parent email about signing up for orchestra will not be enough.

In addition, an effective website is helpful for families that like to have more extensive information. This is a great place to include videos of older students, program information, director bios, and instrument rental information. Make your website engaging and vibrant, just as you would in your effort to recruit in person. Rebuilding will take creativity, flexibility, and a laser focus on recruiting.

Advocacy

Advocacy is something music teachers engage in on a daily basis. Everything we do from quality daily teaching to conversations in the hallway is advocacy. Communication and relationships with administrators, parents, and students are essential while rebuilding.

Advocacy with Administrators

Advocacy with administrators happens in every interaction we have with them. Sometimes, when saying hello to a principal, a quick “We had a great rehearsal today!” can go a long way. They hear a lot of complaints and have had an especially difficult job during the pandemic, so hearing positive happenings with students can be the energizing moment they need, and it reminds them of the great things happening in your classroom.

It is important for administrators to understand orchestra enrollments are lower in most places in the United States right now, but their orchestra program is moving forward and it will be rebuilt because you have a plan. Keep administrators informed about the current and projected numbers, so quality decisions can be made for the long-term health of the program, including scheduling, staffing, and recruiting. Create a five-year plan for scheduling and staffing, and take the initiative to schedule meetings and have proactive conversations before decisions are made. Make sure to collaborate with your music department, so this process is a unified, team effort. There may be changes due to the pandemic, so be flexible and brainstorm possible solutions. And remember, approaching administrators with a positive, student-focused attitude, offering solutions instead of problems, and being open to change will help keep that line of communication open.

Advocacy with Parents

Advocacy with parents also happens on a daily basis. Being organized builds trust and communicating quickly builds a good rapport with parents. Along with the communication ideas already stated, use personal emails to families about their students’ progress, or mail postcards of encouragement to students. Consider how you can enhance communication with parents and guardians beyond just concerts and conferences to help rebuild and promote retention.

In our communication, we can also advocate for the power of music education in students’ lives. Communicating affirmations about the program including small and large successes, an ensemble’s growth, and individual growth will help keep the program moving forward and build retention. It can be as simple as sending a photo out to parents and telling them about a great rehearsal or moment in class. No one wants to be on a sinking ship, so advertising the future of the program, events for the following year, and progress the students have made is essential for students, parents, and administrators. Positive communication helps to build excitement about the orchestra program and to develop the sense of being a part of something great.

Advocacy with Students

It is easy to forget to see life from the students’ perspective, especially during times of stress. Ask yourself these questions to underscore what is important and to help prioritize what you do every day:

• Do your students know you care about them as individuals?

• Do your students know you love making music and teaching them?

• Do your students know the short-term and long-term group goals?

• Do your students know they are making progress?

• Do your students know why they are learning what they are learning?

• Do your students know the orchestra program is moving toward great things?

• Do your students know about the orchestra class they will move to next year?

Advocacy through Building Culture

Develop a culture and attitude about orchestra that is compelling for students. This impacts recruiting and retention, which affects the rebuilding of programs. For recruiting, attitude development begins at least two years before the actual recruiting process. Bringing high school ensembles to perform at elementary schools, providing free concert tickets or special invitations to dress rehearsals, and contacting private teachers are strategies many of us use. During the pandemic, some of these activities might not have happened. Consider strategic orchestra musical encounters for the students who are a year away from the recruiting process. We can provide string instruments for the general music teachers to show the class. We can hold special instrument demonstrations virtually. We can have a virtual “orchestra party” with high school students performing each instrument and a game for the younger students. No matter what you do, make sure to coordinate with your band and choir teacher, so the recruiting process is unified.

Remember we must intentionally develop the attitudes of our community toward the orchestra program. Get the community—senior citizens, politicians, service organizations, parent organizations, parents, guardians, and students—involved. Be creative and have fun with what works for your community. The goal is to have as many people as possible experience the success of the orchestra program.

Community performance ideas are as follows:

• Perform at public functions

• Perform at the mall or community venues

• Invite the mayor to introduce your concert

• Have public figures guest conduct

• Play a piece that has a special role for an administrator or teachers from the building

• Theme concerts such as a Halloween or Disney for elementary students

• Perform several places on a town tour

Student service ideas are as follows:

• Have students serve the community by providing music for charity organizations or at hospitals

• Provide music at a staff meeting

• Provide music at a board meeting

• Musical valentines or holiday grams for school announcements or individual students

• Holiday caroling by the main office or in the school hallways

• Musical messages sent through a voicemail or email message

• Send a video performance to nursing homes

Conclusion

You are the orchestra program’s greatest asset! Make your focus leading the rebuilding and reimagining of your program. Keep the long-term big picture in mind and know you are not alone in your efforts as teachers across the country are rebuilding too. Share your ideas and successes with colleagues and on ASTA Connect, teacher websites, and social media. Together, we can make a big difference in our little part of the world. Teachers are needed now more than ever, and we have the opportunity to bring music into students’ lives in a time when they desperately need it.