Whether you’re a music instructor at a school or you operate your own studio, attracting new students is essential for keeping your job security. Too often, even with all the scholastic, social, and physical benefits that have been lately recognized about music education, many schools continue to curtail their music budget. And, if you work for yourself, those issues mean that you’ll eventually be compelled to redirect your energies toward another occupation.
However, just knowing that you need to inspire enthusiasm in your community for your music program isn’t enough to fill your seats. You need practical solutions for attracting new students to your music class. This list can get you started. Most of these ideas just require a little bit of your time during the week, while a few others involve a small investment. But either way, you’ll be amply repaid for your energies by the increase in new students these efforts produce.
Building Excitement
As a music instructor, you know that being able to express yourself through an instrument like the violin offers a lifetime of benefits. And, every day, you strive to share that enthusiasm with beginners and motivate them with a desire to become proficient players.
But, did you know that you can capitalize on your current activities to generate more interest in your music class? It’s true. The single most effective way to bring in new students is through word of mouth testimonials. If your current students rave about how fun, exciting, and cool your class is, naturally their peers will want to get in on it. By building your lessons around engaging, entertaining techniques, you make your music class the bright spot in your student’s day.
Many online teaching resources are filled with ideas and activities for music instructors. With just a little time spent searching various teaching sites, you can enrich your current curriculum and increase your number of students. This technique works for independent music teachers as well. The more your students talk about how great it is to learn the violin, piano, or any other instrument from you, the more demand you’ll see for your services.
Get the Word Out
Like all successful businesses, products, and professionals, advertising to build name recognition and a great reputation requires spreading the word about who you are and what you do. For school based music programs, one of the best ways to increase interest is through a weekly or monthly school newspaper. If some sort of publication is created each month, or even twice a year, for parents, you can capitalize on that opportunity by creating an exciting ad about your music program.
Choose pictures of notable celebs playing their instruments and include solid facts about the benefits and advantages generated by musical instruction. The trendy stars will appeal to students—because who didn’t imagine fame and fortune during their childhood, right?—and the verifiable truths about how music can enhance grades, build confidence, and establish group dynamic skills will cause parents to re-think their ideas about music education. Even 1-2 years of instruction can make a big difference in a child’s scholastic performance, and it especially helps understanding the mathematical concepts that give kids difficulties like fractional operations, etc.
Moreover, this type of advertising is perfect for teachers who want to build their private instruction business. Reaching out to the local school districts in your area is a fantastic way to target new students.
Involving the Community
You can also attract new students to your music class by becoming more involved in community activities. Fairs, parades, and other public gatherings offer a great chance for you to demonstrate your skills, distribute free give-away items like pens or clips with your name and contact information, and interact with potential students.
Other ideas include hosting an open house during holiday breaks, visiting various membership societies in your region, or scheduling concerts. Creating an open house and visiting various seniors clubs and other groups works well for private instructors. It provides parents and individuals with an impression about the teaching environment you’ve created and your professionalism. School instructors can generate enthusiasm about their music programs by scheduling concerts throughout the year. Speak with local businesses about sponsorship opportunities; you’ll be surprised by the support!
Attracting more students to your music class really involves building enthusiasm about music in your community. Just remember to keep your ideas relevant to the group you need to target. By using these and other basic methods, you’ll see your numbers increase.
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