Beginning Band Recruiting
Hillcrest Intermediate School, PA
11091 Mockingbird Drive, North Huntingdon, PA, USAProject Description
The campaign to recruit incoming fth-graders into the beginning band program at Hillcrest Intermediate School begins in April. Mr. Lippmann, the band director, plans four visits to each of the four elementary schools.
At the rst visit, Mr. Lippman asks each fourth-grade classroom teacher if he can stop by to say hi. Preceded by his dynamic personality and boundless energy, he plans a quick eurythmics
activity accompanied by popular music that tweens love. It gets every student physically and mentally engaged and excited at the prospect of joining his class next year.
For his second visit, Mr. Lippmann comes bearing “golden tickets.” They are “all-access” passes to “be our guest” at the upcoming spring 5th and 6th grade band concerts at Hillcrest.
These concerts are programmed with music that is carefully chosen to be fun both for the older students to play and for the younger students and their families to hear, including plenty of
Disney classics. It’s a regular sight to see preschoolers dancing in the aisles (recruiting at Norwin really does start early!).
The week after the concert, Mr. Lippman arrives for his third visit with demo instruments in tow. He engages the 4th grade classroom teacher for assistance, both with notetaking and with
insight into students’ personalities. He will demonstrate each instrument, playing songs that are recognizable, catchy, and popular. He’ll ask the teacher to go down the class roster and ask each student to pick their favorite instrument to try. Students get to hold each horn, which research shows increases perceived ownership. While joking with the students, he takes the opportunity to evaluate students’ cheeks, embouchures, and hand sizes. Based on this information, he picks a 2nd choice for each student (if the student isn’t well-suited for their rst choice, they’ll get to hold this instrument a bit longer than they did their rst choice).
Mr. Lippmann’s 5th grade students help assemble the packets for that are delivered to the 4th graders on his fourth and nal elementary visit. He encourages them to include notes to kids they know. These packets consist of instrument rental information, plus an 8-page booklet of information about getting started with instrumental music at Hillcrest. They’re invited to a halfday “jump start” music camp just before school starts, where they’ll learn to assemble, take care of, and make the rst sounds on their new instrument. The packets also include a letter to the parents indicating that their child has demonstrated aptitude on their rst and second choice instruments.
Target Audience
Overall budget
$1500
Specific Budget Breakdown
New or recurring project?
RecurringHow did you update/change this project from its previous occurrence?
Measurement of the success/effectiveness of this project?
One hundred fifty students attend each “jump start” beginning band camp at a cost of $25.