How Travel Drives Recruitment and Retention for Your Program

Every 12 months, our BRT crew makes magic occur for over 50,000 scholar performers in dozens of locations world wide. Every look at our busy journey calendar reminds us of how highly effective efficiency journey is for the unimaginable music educators and college students we serve.

We have the privilege of partnering with administrators to develop their applications by way of journey, creating impactful efficiency experiences that each recruit new performers and maintain them dedicated.

Here’s how journey can do the identical in your program:

Travel attracts.

An upcoming journey catches college students’ consideration and could be what will get them off the fence about attempting band, choir or orchestra for the primary time. Every 12 months, college students who’ve by no means picked up an instrument or hummed a tune will contemplate your program – and an thrilling journey alternative may very well be their deciding issue. In truth, some administrators have advised us that prime faculty efficiency journey is one thing that even elementary faculty college students of their districts sit up for!

Once you’ve traveled along with your college students, they’ll be your greatest advertising crew, as they’ll share their experiences with their buddies. And when potential college students know that becoming a member of your program could get them a seat on the following journey, they received’t wish to miss the chance.

Travel builds group.

All of us are hardwired for group. Students aren’t any exception (and you might argue that they want it much more).

A shared expertise – like touring to an thrilling vacation spot, acting on a brand new stage and making reminiscences with buddies – bonds college students like nothing else. It additionally creates connections that wouldn’t occur in any other case – a senior and a sophomore will sometimes have very totally different class schedules, however after they journey collectively, they could type a lifelong bond.

Don Stinson, Director of Bands at Joliet Central High School mentioned it greatest:

When college students journey as a gaggle, they study to depend on one another, work collectively, and have fun one another’s successes. They’re a part of one thing larger than themselves – a group. 

Travel supplies a fundraising point of interest.

Fundraising “just because” generally is a problem. But your upcoming journey supplies a worthwhile and time-sensitive trigger that the group can get behind. And for those who’re already fundraising year-round, your journey could be the cornerstone of these efforts.

Plus, fundraising additional bonds your college students and creates visibility in your program at your faculty and in your group. Win-win-win.

Travel retains college students engaged.

Students are much less prone to go away a music program in the event that they’re trying ahead to your group’s subsequent journey – and the one after that. A constant journey schedule, even an every-other-year cadence, retains college students eagerly anticipating what’s subsequent.

The college students who’ve traveled with you earlier than aren’t simply your greatest recruiters – they’re glorious “retainers” as effectively, preserving their buddies engaged as they share their tales “from the road” with their friends. 

So, what are you able to do at the moment to supercharge recruitment and retention in your group?

Activate your older college students.

Your older college students have usually confirmed themselves to be devoted and dependable – so give them alternatives to be ambassadors in your program. 

Highlight your program at elementary and center faculties to get college students early and provides your skilled college students the highlight. They can carry out or just share their tales of being part of your program – together with journey, in fact. Reward their time with service hours and also you’ll have a really useful crew in your palms!

Inspire youthful college students.

As many administrators have shared with us, the largest drop in retention occurs proper earlier than highschool begins.

So it’s essential to achieve out to youthful college students earlier than the top of their final 12 months of center faculty or junior highschool. (If we wait till they begin highschool, that’s usually too late to recuperate.) And what higher approach to entice them than with the promise of upcoming journey?

Invite these youthful college students to your performances to present them a glimpse of what their future may maintain. Bring them into your classroom (or go to theirs) and allow them to ask questions of your older college students. Or host an annual open home for potential college students and their dad and mom.

Create traditions.

An superior tradition is constructed by way of traditions college students come to anticipate – and journey is just one of them.

Celebrate the vacations with sizzling cocoa at school. Host an awards night time annually and honor a spread of scholars. Fundraise for and print matching t-shirts. Appoint scholar ambassadors who might help you recruit new college students and have fun your present class – these leaders can plan group occasions exterior of faculty, strengthening friendships and forming new ones.

Find what works for you and your program. Remember: It issues much less what you do and extra that you just’re constant year-over-year.

Make it private.

You’re already wonderful at connecting along with your present performers – discover methods to attach with potential college students too! Send handwritten notes to center schoolers who can be shifting as much as your faculty subsequent 12 months. Make a welcome video that includes your scholar ambassadors sharing what they love about your program. Find out which of your college students have youthful siblings and ship them invites to affix. Again, consistency is vital – simply discover the private touches that be just right for you. 

We’re grateful to associate with administrators such as you and, with many former educators on our crew, now we have a ardour for making music applications as robust as they presumably could be. To study extra about how journey can construct your program, attain out to our crew – we are able to’t wait to attach with you.