If you are responsible for arranging and organizing a marching band, then you're probably familiar with this problem: your group is too small to really liven up the crowd the way you'd like. Marching band participation is not a hugely popular activity, and some band organizers struggle to find musicians who want to join. Below, you will find a few tips to help you recruit more people to join your marching band.
1. Advertise at music venues.
Your best strategy is to try and attract musicians who play in other types of groups and are interested in giving marching band a try as a way of doing something different. So, advertise in local music venues. Make some flyers to post on bulletin boards in local concert halls and in dive bars where bands play. See if local venues will allow you to announce that you're looking for musicians at their open mic nights. Someone who shows up to play at an open mic night is probably looking for a way to get more involved in music, and your marching band could provide them with that.
2. Allow interested parties to come to a "trial practice."
Marching band is not for everyone, and learning to coordinate marching with playing an instrument is not always easy. So, when you're trying to recruit new members, allow interesting people to come play with the band once or twice on a trial basis. During this time, offer them a little coaching and assistance to see how they take to marching band. This is as much a trial for you as it is for them. They get to see how they like marching, and you get to see how well they fit into the band.
3. Diversify your sound.
You'll have an easier time recruiting if you are open to having a number of different instruments in your band. For instance, if you restrict yourself to just drums and horns, as is popular in marching bands, all of the musicians out there who play woodwinds can't participate. Be willing to diversify your sound and include some "alternative" instrumentals, and you'll have more people interested in joining.
Finally, make sure you do all that you can to encourage current band members to stay. Make practices fun, organize non-practice parties and activities once in a while, and remember to experiment with new sounds to keep marching band interesting.
Share
