Musical education has fallen on some tough times. According to the Save the Music Foundation there are at least 7,000 schools in the USA without any music programs at all. Thanks to budget cuts, high operating costs, and the perception that music is less important, many music schools are having a hard time.
But, through innovation and collaboration, there’s no reason your struggling music school can’t turn things around. Want to learn more about how to improve your music school’s reputation and increase student enrollment? Check out these music school success tips.
1: You Need a Music School Marketing Strategy
Back in the day, kids idolized rock stars, dreaming of becoming one themselves. In the 80s, countless teens bought Gibson Les Pauls, hoping to play like Slash after hearing Appetite for Destruction.
Back then, music would reinvent itself every decade, birthing new subcultures and inspiring a new generation. Now, things have changed. Music no longer dominates culture the way it once did.
Sure, it’s still massively popular, but it’s got some serious competition. According to Family Education, today’s kids are more likely to say they want to be YouTubers or TikTok influencers than rock stars.
If you want to connect with this generation, you can’t simply rely on them being inspired by the latest bands. You need to get on their platforms and speak their language. For effective marketing, you need to partner with a professional marketing agency. Such an agency can help you:
- Enhance your branding
- Rebuild your website
- Create a strong social media presence
- Run effective advertising campaigns targeting your core demographics
2: Consider New Approaches
Look at today’s charts, and you’ll see bands are far less common than they used to be. Instead, you’ll hear vocalists backed by synthetic sounds and electronic beats. Kids are inspired by what they hear, and if they’re listening to artists like Skrillex, Billie Eilish, or Grimes, they’re hearing music made with synths, drum machines, and samplers.
If you’re inspired by electronic music, you probably won’t pick up a guitar or sit at a piano. Instead, you’ll download a DAW like Ableton or Logic. These kids want to make music, but they’re not likely to choose a traditional instrument or go to a music school.
Offering courses in modern music production can expand your student base. Bedroom producers often struggle to get their tracks sounding right. It’s hard to achieve a clean, professional sound in a cramped bedroom studio.
By providing access to an acoustically treated studio with professional gear, you give them a place to mix and master their music properly. Such facilities are sure to attract new students who want to improve their skills and sound.
3: Demonstrate the Importance of Playing an Instrument
Of course, you probably don’t want to give up on teaching students to play. After all, channeling your emotions by mastering your instrument is the core of music. You won’t have that experience in a DAW, the good news is that the top electronic producers agree.
German producer and DJ Boris Brejcha is known for his synth-heavy “hi-tech minimal” style. In an interview with Pioneer DJ, Brejcha remarked how important it was in his career that he learned to play an instrument. Despite making music with nothing but a DAW, he encourages new producers to learn a traditional instrument so they can feel the music and produce better melodies.
Most electronic producers have a MIDI keyboard or drum pads, but many of them can’t play and rely on quantization, scale locking, and transposition.
Clearly, these students can be convinced to play drums or piano. If you have an electronic production class, get those students to mix with the traditional musicians as much as possible. For example, teach a class on sampling and try recording a real drum kit; you’re sure to convince some of the drum machine enthusiasts to take up the real thing.
4: Consider a More Interdisciplinary Approach
A music school could easily adopt an interdisciplinary approach and expand into related fields. Take audio and recording engineering, for instance. These technical fields are a perfect fit because engineers need artists to record.
While many audio engineers start off playing an instrument, the technical demands of the job mean they’re usually not the best players. A music school full of musicians is the ideal place for aspiring sound engineers to refine their craft.
It’s a sad reality that raw talent isn’t enough to succeed in the music business. You need to grab people’s attention. Why not reboot your struggling music school and offer courses in marketing or business?
5: Join Forces
Struggling musicians often find success by coming together, and there’s no reason music schools can’t do the same. By joining forces with another school, you can pool resources and offer:
- A wider range of courses
- More instructors with niche expertise
- Access to better facilities
Finding the right partner will help both schools increase visibility and attract a broader student base. For example, if your classical music school partners with a tech-focused school, you might attract recording engineers who want to specialize in orchestral work.
Collaborations like this will enhance your reputation and establish your school as a leading and credible brand.
Transform Your Struggling Music School
Learning to play music is about much more than just learning songs, scales, and chords. It also enhances cognitive skills, promotes emotional development, and teaches kids how to work well and collaborate under pressure.
As a music teacher, you’ve seen how learning to play can change someone’s life. You owe it to the next generation of aspiring musicians to persevere and keep your struggling music school going.
Music is about connecting, so why not get involved with one of the best musical education networks in the country? Since 2005, Music Lab Schools has been teaching students of all levels and ages to play all styles of music.
Our teachers are passionate players who want to pass on their skills to the next generation. If you’re interested in joining our ranks, contact us today and learn how your music school could transform into a Music Lab.
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