How did you get students for your studio?

[rascaljim]

I have a few ideas for getting students, but I am wondering what you all have done or are doing. I'm getting ready to start recruiting since summer's on it's way.

I'm trying to swich more of my employment towards music because my other job is getting in the way of some of the gigs I do. It's only a part time job so it's not a huge deal.

I've been to seminars and things like that so it's not that I don't have ideas, I just want to see what other good ideas people have that I haven't thought of. I can't just take out an ad on some billboard downtown... it's not like I'm flute player or a vocalist or something.

Thanks for the ideas
Jim

[tubajoe]

Hey Jim – you are a Chicago guy right?

When I lived there, I had quite a bit of success getting students – in fact, I had more than I could handle with a huge waiting list.

When it comes to getting students, band directors are your best friends.

Take a regional approach -- get a couple students at a certain high school or middle school, then talk to the feeders of those schools etc. I had this process going in at least three different locations, where I would have the high schools, feeder middle schools, as well as some related consulting – such as master classes, contest/festival audition judging and the likes.

It can take a lot of time to keep in touch with a pile of soccermoms and schedule around gazillions of orthodontist appointments, soccer games and the likes – but it can be done, especially in a large metro area like Chicago.

Make cold calls to band directors or send letters. You will find some that wont talk to you, but you will also find some that are kind and willing to help you out.

Also, YOU have to go to the students; they usually will not come to you. Some school districts will let you teach on the campus (in the band room or adjoining room) during or after school. During the summer, I would rent a room at a nearby music store and at least keep some of the students going, but that was not as easy for the parents as doing it right at the school.

Above all, a good band director KNOWS that you are doing them a service – they know that having their band kids take private students lessons makes them better, and having great tuba players is a shortcut to making the entire band sound better, which in turn makes the band director themselves look better – which is the ultimate goal because we all know that band directors are notoriously ruthlessly competitive. go with it.


Good luck, it can be done.

[RyanSchultz]

Develop a relationship with the band directors. 90+% of my school age students come from director referrals.

[Mark]

Develop a relationship with the band directors. 90+% of my school age students come from director referrals.

Unfortunately, I've heard that one school district has told its band directors that they can no longer refer students to private teachers because of the legal liability.