On Band Parents and Fundraising

            Should we HAVE to rely on parents and fundraisers for our band programs? In a perfect world, no – every band program would have the funding that they need, and every superintendent would recognize the power of music and give the band directors whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and we would never want for anything ever.

            Yeah, right.

            But yes, the fact of the matter is that we as band directors are extremely reliant on raising money to support the band programs, especially when there is more than one high school in your town (my town had 3) and the budget needs to be split across the schools. There just isn’t enough money to go around – you can’t create a fund out of thin air. In my mind, this isn't anything to even stress about - it's part of the job, and we have to make it work. But let us remember that there are other ways in which we as band directors can take action.

            When I was in high school, the percussion ensemble organized an event in which we brought trash cans and drumsticks and other miscellaneous noisemakers outside of the local Wal-Mart, where we played a large variety of different percussion music inspired by “Stomp.” We made donation signs as well as large, decorative posters inviting customers to our concert later on in the Spring. We were a small program that just started, but I was surprised how much we got in donations.

            There are also grants that we can apply for, which can be a lot of time and effort, but the end result makes it all worth it. Money you don’t have to pay back is always a plus! A good band director should always be resourceful and keep a lot of options open – knowing exactly where to look to apply for these grants is a significant tool at our disposal, as well as being very prompt and thorough with our submissions.

            Parents will always be a big part of any band program, whether it’s getting help loading up the pit equipment to maintaining a list of chaperones for field trips. They are so vital in distributing the word around town about the band nights, fundraisers, special events, field trips, concerts, and festivals. And why not rely on parents? After all, it helps keep everyone in the loop as far as the children are concerned. A band director should always strive to be present with the parents and to outwardly be as friendly, encouraging, and hard-working as they possibly can be, so that the parents understand exactly the type of person who is teaching their kid all day. That’s the kind of band director I want to be, at least.