My thoughts on recruiting are informed by my experiences both as a prospective student and as a teacher. In general, I see success in recruiting for universities in particular as contingent upon a music school or department committing to a unified vision of the school and a relational approach toward seeking new students. As a one-time prospective student, I sought trial lessons with professors ahead of university/conservatory auditions, and these were crucial to being able to see myself as a student at a new school. These lessons instantly added a relational element to my view of the music program and gave me a sense of how connected the instructors themselves felt to their own music department. Willingness to give free trial lessons to prospective students is therefore one of the most basic forms of recruitment.

 

In terms of local recruitment strategies, maintaining a private studio with local high school-aged students and engaging musically in the local community and music schools are integral. 

 

Within a year of starting my own private studio in San Jose following an international move, I acquired 20 students and no longer had space to take on new students outside of exceptional cases.  My studio today is comprised nearly entirely of second-generation immigrant students including students with heritage from China, Kyrgyzstan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Taiwan, and Vietnam. From my first year of teaching in California, my students made rapid progress, winning prizes or competing as finalists at the US Open Music Competition, the Artciál International Piano Competition, and the Charleston International Piano Competition, among others. I attribute successes both in recruiting new students and in keeping them not only to the passion and discipline of my students, but also to a robust teaching philosophy that nurtures intrinsic motivation while establishing clear expectations and staunch confidence in every student’s potential for musical artistry. In practical terms, this involves adhering to principles of virtuosic piano technique in all repertoire regardless of level, encouraging students to listen to a broad array of performers, strategically selecting repertoire that appeals to their individual aptitudes and pushes them into new musical and technical challenges, and encouraging students to frequently perform and record themselves.​ While not necessarily part of recruitment itself, news of successes in one's own studio has a way of reliably spreading outward and attracting interest from other prospective students.

 

Building ties to the local community can take many forms, including volunteering time as a chamber coach or guest artist in local schools, organizing chamber concerts with other faculty in community events and public spaces, adding Q&As to engage with students and parents, leveraging social media to promote or share news about the school of music, or partnering with community music schools, arts schools, or ensembles to co-host concerts. If one has private piano students, especially students who play secondary instruments, this can provide many inroads to connecting with other local music teachers. Integration of chamber music projects into private studio recitals creates natural opportunities to have joint-coachings with other strings, brass, or woodwind teachers, as well as opportunities to attend local public or arts school concerts. These occasions to meet other local music teachers can rapidly expand one's own network and develop into new collaborative projects.

​

Other national and international recruitment strategies with the potential of more institutional longevity include hosting summer music festivals, music camps, or workshops for middle school and high school-aged students, hosting auditioned masterclasses with university faculty, and founding solo, chamber, or concerto competitions.  Each of these events creates an opportunity for young musicians to distinguish themselves (which is viewed positively by students and parents) and affords an opportunity for them to visit a university's campus and music facilities, meet professors, and build new relationships with the university community. Establishing similar programs for undergraduates likewise functions as a recruitment arm for prospective graduate students.

 

To address international recruitment specifically, maintaining professional relationships with colleagues abroad is among the most natural ways to launch new international recruiting scenes. Exchange programs, international festivals, competitions, or workshops, and targeted scholarships for international students can have a big impact. More obviously, while students will of course need fluency in English, offering multiple language options on the most public-facing pages can smooth the path toward choosing to audition. Doing is not only a polite gesture, but also serves to communicate that an institution views its music department as one with an international presence.

 

Lastly, sources of "friction" in application processes should not be overlooked. For example, universities using the Common App often experience higher rates of student applications. Allowing virtual auditions and avoiding excessively specific application essay requirements can also increase the volume of applications and auditions. Music department webpages should be frequently reviewed to ensure that the user experience is intuitive and informative, and that videos and images are in high resolution. Links should be checked to ensure they still function, faculty biographies kept up-to-date, and recent achievements of the music department and alumni prominently displayed.