are more likely to join. First, having staff members that reflect the student body is crucial. It was found that stu- dents choose teachers of the same race as their role mod- els at a higher rate than teachers of a different race. When hiring teachers, keep in mind that it is easier for students to relate to people who look like them. That being said, staffing is almost always out of the teachers’ control and does not help teachers who are already in the classroom. You can still relate to your minority students without be- ing a minority teacher. You can represent your students by allowing your program to reflect their cultural inter- est and background. Making your program culturally relevant may mean arranging music by a certain artist or as simple as letting students discuss their musical inter- est with the class and listening to videos. This does not always mean performing spirituals for the sake of rep- resentation, but it does mean teaching accurate history and context while making sure to elevate every style of music to the same level of importance. There are already preconceived notions, with certain cultures, about the importance of music education in schools. Many cul- tures have music built into its fabric but maintain the separation between music and education. Having a par- ent meeting gives you a chance to exhibit how your pro- gram can be relevant academically and artistically while gaining parental support.
Recruit with Every Student in Mind
Recruitment season is often the most enjoyable for the students and staff. They get to see performances from older students in their district, watch videos about the success of the music programs, or get out of class for instrument demonstrations. Imagine being in these exciting situations and feeling excluded because you can- not relate to any of the demonstrations. In many cases, directors do not recruit with underrepresented groups in mind. Diversifying your recruitment strategies can lead to a more diverse band without having to do too much extra work. For example, you could send home letters and email parents in multiple languages. When having your ensemble perform, in the effort to recruit, avoid your classical ensembles and bring your ensembles that your students can relate to or choose culturally relevant repertoire during recruitment assemblies. When show- ing videos of professionals playing certain instruments or singing certain songs, make sure to show varying
MAY 2021
genres with minority performers. As more minority stu- dents join your program, others will follow because they see students who look like them and can now envision themselves in this activity.. When recruiting is over, take the same tools and embed them into the fabric of your program. No one likes false advertisements!
Provide Resources when Possible If you are a teacher, you understand how to make
your budget stretch - if you have a budget at all. Mi- nority students are often the students not able to afford extra-curricular activities. Unfortunately, instrumental music programs are the only activities that have a contin- uous price tag attached. Instruments are expensive and many families do not see the justification for making this investment especially when they do not understand the importance of music based activities. In a perfect world, you will be able to set up a meeting with your princi- pal, ask for instruments, and have them shipped to your school in a week. Realistically, you may have to be your own saving grace. I have often been overwhelmed when thinking about expanding my inventory because I had a waiting list of 20 students and not enough money to buy 20 instruments. I spent time fighting the building administration or district administration to purchase the instruments on my students’ behalf because I felt “the money should not come out of my budget.” That line of thinking did not have the effect imagined. Even if you can only buy two instruments every year with the budget I have, that means two students have the opportunity to participate in your ensemble. Over time, you will have enough inventory to provide instruments for one of your grade levels in its entirety. In the meantime, reach out to your community for instrument donations. Reach out to colleagues in other districts to see if they have unused instruments lying around they are willing to part with. Reach out to colleges and ask if they can spare a few of their secondary instruments. Every instrument counts because it directly leads to another student participating.
Every program is different and every program has
its own limitations. As you read these tips, remember there is more than one way to skin a cat. These thoughts are either new information or served as reminders for concepts you already know. Either way, we are all in this fight to make music education more accessible for all of
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