Abstract
Throughout my school career, I was influenced by orchestra directors who exposed me to an abundance of educational and musical opportunities. They challenged me both in and out of the orchestra classroom. They instilled in me a passion for music that eventually led me to follow in their footsteps. As I began my music education studies at the college level, I quickly found out that my experiences in elementary, middle, and high school orchestra were the exception and not the rule. I went from participating in ensembles that were representative of the school and surrounding communities to being one of only three Black students in my college symphony orchestra.
“ With the increasing racial diversity in our school population, it is imperative that music educators work to ensure their programs reflect the demographics of their schools and surrounding communities.”
With the increasing racial diversity in our school population, it is imperative that music educators work to ensure their programs reflect the demographics of their schools and surrounding communities. Black musicians make up just 1.8 percent of the membership of professional orchestras, while Latinx make up 2.5 percent, according to a 2016 report by the American League of Orchestras (Doesser 2016). Similarly, many high school performing ensembles, particularly string orchestras, reflect the same underrepresentation (DeLorenzo 2012). According to previous research, the overwhelming majority of students who participate in American string orchestra programs, particularly at the secondary level, are white, of high-socioeconomic status, and reside in suburban areas (Elpus 2015; Smith, 1997; Smith, Mick, and Alexander, 2018). Blacks make up 11 percent of school orchestras, while Latinx make up 15 percent (Smith, Mick, and Alexander, 2018). These findings are particularly noteworthy when coupled with the fact that, according to US census projections, by 2045, whites will make up 49.7 percent of the population, while blacks, Latinx, Asians, and Other minorities will make up 50.3 percent (Colby and Ortman, 2015). In other words, the majority of the population of the United States will be made up of racial minority groups or reach “majority-minority” status. Therefore, the recruitment and retention of Black and Latinx students will be key to the survival of ensemble music programs. Ensley (1991, 53) wrote, “Wherever it is known that minority students make up an increasing portion of the general school population, string teachers should be keenly interested in attracting minority students to their programs.” This quote, nearly thirty years old, still rings true as the US population approaches “majority-minority” status.
A large portion of my teaching career has been dedicated to schools and programs that are racially and socioeconomically diverse. The racial breakdown of my current school is Black (47%), white (39%), Latinx (8%), Multi-racial (4%), and Asian (2%). Economically disadvantaged (free and reduced lunch) students make up 31 percent of the population. With such a racially and socioeconomically diverse population, it is crucial that the orchestra program reflects the overall population of the school and community it serves, and that all my students see themselves represented in the curriculum.
Factors Contributing to Low Participation Rates
Before we tackle recruitment and retention strategies, we should first examine two major factors contributing to low participation rates of black and Latinx students in string orchestra programs: access to quality programs and demographics of string teachers. Previous research has shown that access to string orchestra programs occurs most often in communities that are of average socioeconomic status in medium to large school districts near suburban and urban areas (Smith 1997). Schools that typically serve a high number of minority students are often forced to eliminate or scale back arts programs for several reasons, including school budget shortfalls, increased emphasis on standardized testing, and unequal distribution of highly qualified teachers (Costa-Giomi and Chappell 2007; Elpus and Abril 2019).
The race or ethnicity of string teachers may also influence the decision for minority students to participate in orchestra programs. The most recent demographic study on string programs by Smith, Mick, and Alexander (2018) showed the typical string teacher is female (64%) and “overwhelmingly White, Non-Hispanic” (92%). DeLorenzo and Silverman (2016, 2) suggest, “for children of color, it is especially critical that they see music teachers who not only look like them, but also represent successful professionals in the field.” Research has shown that the academic performance of minority students improves when school faculties include minority teachers (Egalite, Kisida, and Winters 2015; Weiher, 2000). Hamann and Walker (1993) in a study specific to music programs found while having a positive role model or teacher of any cultural background is of benefit to black students, having a black teacher is especially important because they understand the difficulties that black students face. The authors also found that teachers of the same race significantly affected students’ decision to continue the study of music past the high school level due to their dual role as music teacher and positive role model in the students’ lives. I can personally attest to being positively influenced by black orchestra directors throughout my school career, who in turn exposed me to an abundance of educational and musical opportunities. They challenged me both in and out of the orchestra classroom. They instilled in me a passion for music that eventually led me to follow in their footsteps.
While teachers of all backgrounds can teach strings successfully, I want to see our teaching community grow in access and diversity. As a professional community, we should ask how we are using culturally responsive teaching and relationship building to help recruit and retain historically marginalized Black and Latinx students in our orchestra programs. How are we building new points of access and connection for students to join at all levels of curriculum? How can we encourage more students, especially minority students, to become string educators? “In order to achieve success in the classroom with Black and Latinx students, the educator must understand the population that they teach, as well as consistently analyze if their teaching practices are effective” (Castro 2015). Teachers of all backgrounds can use a combination of culturally responsive teaching and relationship building to help recruit and retain black and Latinx students in orchestra programs.
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Curriculum
With the inevitable demographic shifts, it is becoming increasingly important to address the cultural needs of all students in the curriculum. Geneva Gay writes,
Teaching is a contextual and situational process. As such, it is most effective when ecological factors, such as prior experiences, community settings, cultural backgrounds, and ethnic identities of teachers and students, are included in its implementation. This basic fact is often ignored in teaching some Native, Latino, African, and Asian American students, especially if they are poor. Instead, they are taught from the middle class, Eurocentric frameworks that shape school practices. (Gay 2018, 28)
The above quote rings true regarding the music education curriculum for traditional larger performance ensembles. Music education curriculum is centered on the large ensemble model of studying music in the Western-Classical tradition. This curriculum predictably places value on standard notation and Western “elements” of music, and limits aural/oral learning to teaching by rote (Hess 2017). While the implementation of the 2014 National Standards has improved this practice, performance of Western-classical music is still emphasized over music of diverse cultures, improvisation, creativity, oral tradition, and other characteristics of music outside of the Western-Classical canon. Study of music outside of the Western-Classical tradition is viewed as supplementary to the main curriculum, which leads to a hierarchy of musical genres. Students conforming to this narrow paradigm (often white and of high-socioeconomic status) are validated, while other students (often students of color) are pushed out of music (Hess 2017).
Emphasis in Western-Classical tradition in the orchestra classroom often manifests itself through repertoire choices and an over-emphasis of reading musical notation. While music educators understand the importance of “playing by ear” or without the use of musical notation, “this aspect of musicianship has traditionally gone underdeveloped by school music instruction” (Woody 2012). This is particularly evident in the secondary orchestra classroom where playing notated Western-Classical music often dominates the curriculum.
It is important to note that the music of many cultures is often taught and passed through generations aurally. Also, many of our students’ first informal musical experiences are rooted in the aural tradition. When they enter traditional music classrooms that emphasize reading musical notation along with classical music, they may not see themselves culturally represented in the curriculum. Lind and McKoy (2016, 45) note, “Students whose ways of learning music and whose skills stem from an aurally based model often find themselves at odds with formal instruction in music and feel they have no place in school music.”
While I am not suggesting to completely do away with classical music in the string orchestra curriculum, we should challenge ourselves to include music of diverse cultures and genres within our curricula. A common practice in orchestra programs (I have been guilty of this too) is to wait to program music of diverse cultures and genres for spring, usually after the performance evaluation concert.
When programming music for each of our concerts, I am very intentional in making sure varied genres are represented in each concert. When teaching non-classical music, maintaining authenticity in how the piece is taught is especially important. Selections from our 2019 Fall concert included Grieg’s Holberg Suite (classical), Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson (jazz), and Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Richard Meyer. Stolen Moments provided an excellent opportunity to introduce (or refine) the concept of “playing by ear,” to teach improvisation, and reading from jazz charts, which typically does not have every note written out for students to play. I found that using a jazz chart eased the student’s apprehension of not having music completely written out. Providing authentic instruction to diverse genres may also cater to your students’ varied learning styles, which in some cases may be derived from students’ culture.
Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Black and Latinx Students
Below are strategies I have successfully implemented to recruit and retain Black and Latinx students. While these strategies certainly benefit all demographics, when implemented in tandem with culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum, I have found them specifically beneficial to Black and Latinx students in my program.
Beginners at the High School Level
One barrier to entry I found in my program was access to beginning instruction at the high school level. Providing access to quality orchestra programs should occur throughout the elementary and secondary level. High school directors should consider accepting beginners into their programs. It is my personal opinion that if a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old comes to you with a genuine interest in learning a new instrument, we should not deny them the opportunity because it may be inconvenient to start a beginner at the high school level. These “late bloomers,” as I call them, often have a work ethic that will make up for their late start. While they may not develop into All-State or advanced-level musicians during their time with you, they can still develop into productive, enthusiastic members of your ensembles.
Music Appreciation Classes
Another way to recruit high school beginners is to use music appreciation classes. Many directors, myself included, are tasked with teaching a music appreciation class in addition to teaching orchestra. In my semester-long music appreciation class, one of the last units I cover is an overview of the instrument families. During the instrument family unit, I give students hands-on access to the piano lab and the stringed instruments in my classroom. For approximately four weeks, the music appreciation class is turned into beginning strings class. During this time, I teach them to play a simple melody individually, and a simple unison and two-part melody as a class in a nurturing, low-pressure environment. If their interest is piqued, I invite them to continue the next semester in the beginning orchestra class. In my current position, the addition of a beginning orchestra class along with recruiting from the music appreciation class has helped to double orchestra enrollment within a three-year span. If you do not teach music appreciation, consider partnering with the music appreciation teacher and help them teach a strings unit within their class. If class scheduling allows, also consider having your orchestra students present a “string orchestra” unit to the music appreciation class.
Get to Know Your Students Outside the Orchestra Classroom
Students are more likely to remain in orchestra programs when they feel teachers have a vested interest in their well-being. Directors must take time to get to know their students outside of the orchestra program. Be sure to plan social activities throughout the year that allow you to get to know your students and allow your students to get to know each other. At the beginning of each school year, my orchestra students play a kickball game against the orchestra at our rival high school. It is a fun way to welcome the new students and team build at the same time. If you have athletes in your program, try to attend one of their games, especially if they give you a personal invitation. If you are not able to attend a game, be sure to ask how the games went the next day. When the opportunity presents itself to just sit and converse with your students, do so.
Show Your Human Side
The podium is not a pedestal, figuratively speaking. No one is perfect, and students appreciate when teachers are open and honest about their flaws and mistakes. One thing that I strive to do in front of my students is to not present myself as the perfect musician. As educators, we should be life-long learners. In my efforts to teach them how to practice, I model with a piece that I am currently working on to show that I am not above making mistakes, and how to overcome those mistakes. I also encourage my students to critique my conducting. If my conducting gestures are not clear, or they are not responding to my gestures in the way that I think they should, I invite them to tell me how to improve. This not only shows that I am open to constructive criticism, but I also trust and value my students’ opinions as musicians.
Orchestra Room = Second Home
I strive to make the orchestra classroom a “school home” for the students and I let them know that it is their classroom as well as mine. Not only is their classroom a place for learning, it is also a safe and inclusive space for everyone. During my planning periods, students are allowed to eat lunch in the orchestra room (provided they clean up after themselves!), use the room to finish homework for other classes, or have a quiet moment to themselves between classes. Not only is this beneficial to the current students, but this has also developed into an informal recruitment tool. During lunch periods, orchestra students often bring a “non-orchestra” friend along who sometimes asks them questions about orchestra. I have also seen impromptu beginner lessons happen if their buddy is interested enough. I rarely give a recruitment speech or intrude, but rather let the recruitment session happen organically between the friends. The advantages of this informal recruitment tool are that the new student already has a friend (and peer tutor) in the class if they decide to join.
Speak Their Language = Social Media
A study by Anderson and Jiang (2018) found that 95 percent of teens have access to a smartphone with 45 percent of teens admitting they are online “almost constantly.” Among the reasons given for Internet and social media usage among the teens surveyed included “connecting with family and friends,” “easier to find news/info,” and “meeting others with same interest.” With this in mind, having an online presence is an almost-required recruitment and communication tool for large ensemble programs. The switch to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this point. A number of orchestras have Internet presence by maintaining websites for their programs. Consider adding social media apps to your program’s Internet presence as they can be wonderful recruitment tools to show off the happenings of your program in a way that is relevant to your current and potential students. I maintain an Instagram page for my orchestra with the help of a student from each class. This way the page has a youthful element that I will admit I cannot provide, while I oversee content and make sure it stays “school appropriate.” Remember to check with your school system regarding social media usage.
Guest Artists and Clinicians
“It’s difficult to see yourself doing something if you don’t see someone looking like you doing it.”—Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
Using guest artists and clinicians of different backgrounds throughout the year gives your students a chance to see and interact with musicians who look like them performing at a high level. A new generation of young cellists, particularly among students of color, has been born due to what is being called “The Sheku Effect.” The National Schools Symphony Orchestra of Britain saw a 68 percent increase in cello applicants for its 2020 residential course, compared with 2019. Artistic Director of the National Schools Symphony Orchestra John Madden directly attributes this increase to the “artistry and advocacy” of Sheku being an inspiration to many young players (Asprou 2020).
I make it a point throughout the year to invite musicians of diverse backgrounds to work with my students. Whenever possible, I invite former students and current professional musicians to come and interact with my current students. This gives my students who may be considering a career in music a tangible role model to look up to. Also consider inviting collegiate/university music majors to run sectional rehearsals. Music majors can serve as positive role models, particularly at the high school level, for students who may be considering majoring in music while music majors gain much-needed classroom experience.
Student Ownership
Allowing student input in curricular and concert decisions gives them ownership and lets them know that you trust them. Every concert cycle, I invite a student conductor to choose and conduct a piece. With my guidance, the student conductor is responsible for rehearsing with their classmates and conducting their selection on the concert. This strategy, used throughout the year, prepares them for the spring concert. The spring concert (usually the final performance of the year) is a totally student-led effort. Senior orchestra members take the lead and plan everything from the theme and music selections to conductors for each selection and program art. During this concert cycle, I view myself as a facilitator and provide input when asked.
Moving Forward
With our increasing diversity, it is essential music educators work to ensure their programs reflect their school and broader communities along with providing students a chance to explore their musicianship in a culturally and socially relevant manner. Taking the time to build lasting, nurturing relationships with our students and making sure they are represented in the curriculum is essential to the survival of our programs. The inclusion of one or more of the strategies discussed, while beneficial to all students, I have found to be helpful in the recruitment and retention of Black and Latinx students.
We must also consider expanding the demographics of string teachers joining the profession. Current teachers should make an intentional effort to encourage students, particularly Black and Latinx students, to become music educators. The teaching population should mirror the population of the students we teach. Strategic recruitment of students as well as teachers of color is essential to the evolution and survival of orchestra programs in the future.
Footnotes
Krissi Davis (