Music educators enjoy front row seats to their students’ lives, watching them grow through successes and failures, trials and victories. The communities that directors build are irreplaceable, becoming spaces where students can find friendship with their fellow performers and support from trusted adults.
We shadow several trips each year and often find ourselves discussing how music programs feel like a second family for both students and directors. We were inspired by these conversations, so we’ve shared some of their words below.
If your program is new or you’re in a rebuilding season, we hope this post will inspire the music family you’re growing. And if your program is already a haven for young performers, we think you’ll find the following words and themes to be quite familiar.
Strong music programs become second families
Your student performers often spend more time with their performing peers than with anyone else – sometimes even their own families! Class time, rehearsals, camp, concerts, competitions and fundraisers mean hundreds of hours spent each year with their peers and with you.
These hours hold so much more than music – they’re filled with human moments of connection, conflict, challenges and growth. And your students will face it all together, with you there to guide them. As one student explained, the sense of instant belonging is powerful:
“When I first came into the program, I automatically felt like, wow, I have 200 friends right here! We spend so much time together practicing and you really get to know everyone. It’s just a special feeling. For things like our competitions, all the performances – when we finish them, it’s like, wow, I’m really glad that we all just got through this together. We always have each other.” – Frankie, student performer
Your students’ families will feel connected to this second family too, as you echo the same values they’re teaching their teens at home – responsibility, cooperation, kindness and empathy. Parents can feel the care and concern you have for their students’ growth and well-being, building partnership and a network of support for these “almost adults.”
“We want to make sure that our values here are consistent with the values that they have at home, and that we’re doing this together. We’re raising these young people together and doing everything we can to give them a future that they can be proud of.” – Kevin, director
Strong music programs grow students into better people
Healthy families produce resilient young adults who confidently step into life after high school – and when student performers are lucky enough to grow in two healthy families, they’re better people for it.
“We’ve had many parents and administrators and teachers come back to us and say, ‘this student has really risen, shows connectedness, developed at a high level because they came through this program.’ This was a big part of the support system for them to make that happen.” – Howard, director
Students in strong music programs grow as performers, gaining the confidence to try new things and step onto new stages. But they grow most as people – young adults on the cusp of independence and self-sufficiency. Your program can equip them with tools they’ll lean on for life:
Connection – Your student performers will form real connections, beyond screens and social media, that show them the power that lies in truly knowing another person and being known for who they are.
Resilience – Learning, failing, trying again, achieving a goal – all of us need to experience this process again and again to be healthy, confident humans. You’ll see your students thrive as they learn new things and pursue new goals.
Community – In an increasingly “me-centered” world, belonging to a community can make all the difference for your students. They’ll learn to work together, celebrate the group’s wins and carry each other’s burdens.
“It never ceases to amaze me how much people will show up for each other. Last year we had a few hurricanes and everyone was willing to show up and help each other out. It improves everyone’s capacity to think about each other, care for each other, and just be good humans.” – Jake, student performer
Build family in your program
The most successful programs we work with focus on these key areas to build community and foster a family environment within their programs:
Communication – Work to build reliable, consistent communication with your students and their families. Communicate early and often not just about about upcoming events and key dates, but also about the requirements and expectations of being a member of an ensemble. Give families avenues to reach out to you with questions or concerns and be quick to reply when they do.
Traditions – Summer band camp, back-to-school potlucks, holiday concerts, fundraisers, annual competitions and performance trips – students and their families look forward to these traditions that are part of the culture of your program. What special events do your students get excited about?
Acknowledgement – Celebrate growth, service and hard work in both your students and parent volunteers and boosters. This could be as involved as an awards night or as simple as a handwritten note. How can you acknowledge the special people in your community? They’ll shine even brighter when you do!
Investment – When you have exceptional student leaders or hardworking volunteers, invest in them. Give student leaders opportunities to mentor younger performers or organize events for the group. Mobilize families, delegating important work to trusted volunteers you know will get the job done.
As music educators-turned-travel planners, we believe that travel helps to build strong music families by providing programs with opportunities to learn, grow and experience the world together. If you’re considering a performance travel experience for your students, we’d love to connect with you, learn more about your program and customize an experience that will impact your group for years to come.