Recruitment

I found both of these articles fascinating. It is true that the majority of concert bands in America do suffer from poor instrumentation and I completely agree with the first article, by Rogers, that this is due largely to the fact that certain instruments are considered "cooler" than others and also carry gender stereotypes. Finding an oboe player, for example, may be easier in a high school than the elusive male flute player. I also agree that this is partially the director's fault for not being proactive in persuading students to consider new instruments that are in short supply. I still believe, though, that a student should be allowed to play whatever instrument they are attracted to, though. Perhaps a strategy to balance both of these views would be to allow the student the option to "double" in the band and slowly move them towards the needed instrument.

I also enjoyed the recruiting solutions that Smith offered in his article. I truly agree that the most fertile recruiting grounds are in the elementary school. At this time, a child is still new to musical experiences and is excited to try new instruments. This becomes less so during the later years when children become involved in other activities, such as sports, student government, etc. Finally, this also fits with a key point in my philosophy: music should be shared by all for as long as possible. I feel that the recruiting tools presented in this article will help to accomplish that goal as well as create a very powerful high school band program that will allow for proper rendering of the works chosen.

I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to use the strategies presented in this article to enhance my future music program. While music, I feel, is a vital part of any student's school experience, good music in proper settings, is even more so.