Keys to Elevating the Small School Music Program

Keys to Elevating the Small School Music Program

Key Strategies to Create Success

By Richard Tengowski, NAfME North Central Division Immediate Past President and NAfME Small Schools Initiative Task Force Chair

Teaching music in small schools affords unique opportunities and benefits, while also presenting specific challenges. In February 2023, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) initiated a new task force to support and serve its small school educators. The NAfME Small Schools Initiative Task Force identified key issues and effective strategies for networking, community building, professional learning, advocacy, and resource development to support music educators in small schools throughout the United States, primarily but not exclusively serving in rural contexts.

After NAfME conducted a survey of music educators, several challenges and barriers in small schools were identified. Following are a few of the challenges that were identified and the key strategies to create success in small school music programs.

Isolation

If you are a music educator in a small school system, you will need to take the initiative to make connections both within your school and with other music educators in your surrounding area. Start by seeking out respected teachers in other disciplines within your school. Offer to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects to build trust and respect. Seek out other music educators within your school district and surrounding districts. Reach out to them for advice, to share music and instruments, or simply to talk shop. Take the initiative to attend regional and state music conferences and professional development opportunities. Begin to create your own professional network.

Workload

If you are trying to duplicate the workload of a large school band program, you are setting yourself up for failure. In most cases, they have more staffing and resources. Therefore, determine what curriculum or program is required for your students to learn and create music that honors the culture in your community and best serves the students. Fine tuning the curriculum in relationship to the workload that you can provide is important. Scaling back and focusing on providing a quality education is of better value than providing a myriad of activities that achieve little for your students.

Scheduling

Make a point of being on the annual course scheduling committee to ensure that music is part of a balanced educational school offering. No one wants to be on more committees, but this committee needs your voice to ensure that music is available to all students. If you are not on the school’s scheduling committee, get on it right away. Become an advocate for your students. If an administrator or counselor creates the school schedule, share your concerns and needs in advance of the scheduling process.

Conflicts

Given our small population in a small school setting, we all need the same students. Many students are involved with sports, clubs, activities outside of school, and even jobs. Given that scenario, there are going to be conflicts. Work with colleagues and school officials to create systems where students are not exploited for the sake of one activity. Foster an environment in your school where students can participate and study in many different pathways. Students should be able to receive a well-rounded education on many levels, and you may need to be the lead advocate for students.

Ensembles

Small school music programs seldom have perfect instrumentation or voices. Therefore, selecting music to be studied requires a lot of intentional planning. Select music that matches the strengths of your ensemble. Take the time to discover composers who write for small school ensembles. If you are a band director, consider many of the new flex band arrangements. In addition, you might need to transcribe important and missing parts to fill out a missing voicing and to maintain the integrity of the composition.

Wise music selection by a small school music educator can create something special. You must choose music with intentionality to meet the students’ needs. Drawing upon the students’ interests and the interests of the community, the process of music selection is vital. All of this takes advance planning.

Faculty and Administrators

Unless a teacher or administrator has been part of a school’s music program, they might not fully understand the operations and procedures necessary to teach music. Develop a rapport with your colleagues in education and not only share but teach them why you do what you do. No one else will teach them the ins and outs of what is necessary to create and maintain a small school music program, so you must take the initiative.

Relationships with Students, Families and Community

One of the greatest joys of teaching in a small school is the opportunity to know and connect with your students, their families, and the community. Embrace this as much as possible. In addition, attend civic and community events and get involved with community functions. Building relationships with your students, their parents, guardians or caregivers, and community members is powerful and will garner more support for your program than you can imagine.

Small Schools Can Be Successful

I consider myself lucky to have taught in a small school for 36 years. Teaching in a small school is special. Great music programs can thrive and flourish at all small schools if the right pieces are in place. Taking initiative, being an advocate for your students, and building relationships are the true keys to longevity and success in a small school music program. It can be done.

I encourage small school music educators to view our webinars and professional learning resources specifically created for teachers in small schools. For more information, go to bit.ly/SmallSchoolsInitiative.

About the author:

Richard Tengowski is a recently retired band director from Kohler, Wisconsin, and Chair of the NAfME Small Schools Initiative Task Force. He can be reached at rich.tengowski@gmail.com.

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