Get the Yes! 4 Strategies for Recruiting (And Retaining) Fine Arts Student Leaders

Student leaders in a fine arts program bring immense value, both to their peers and to the overall experience of the program. Here are some of the key contributions they make:

1. Fostering a Collaborative Environment, which is essential in fine arts programs where collaboration is key to producing good work.
2. Creating a Sense of Community through organizing events, social gatherings, or informal hangouts, student leaders can foster an atmosphere where their fellow students feel connected to one another outside the classroom, leading to better collaboration and a stronger sense of camaraderie.
3. Strengthening the Program’s Legacy by passing on knowledge, traditions, and ideas to the next generation of students, ensuring that the band, choir, orchestra, guard, dance or theatre program evolves in a thoughtful way while maintaining the values and traditions that make it special.
4. Provide Additional Resources to help with some of the mundane tasks that take up so much of our time as educators. Getting an extra pair of hands is especially valuable for things like Music Librarians, Uniform Assistants, Social Media Managers, or Equipment Managers.

In short, student leaders in fine arts programs play a pivotal role in the development of both the individuals within the program and the program itself. They help build a vibrant, creative, and supportive community that nurtures the artistic growth of all involved.

Recruiting Student Leaders for Your Fine Arts Program

Recruiting student leaders requires a thoughtful approach to ensure you find individuals who are not only passionate about the arts but also possess the qualities needed to inspire and lead their peers. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively recruit student leaders:

1. Defining the Role and Expectations ensures candidates understand the responsibilities they are considering taking on. Outline the specific duties, and specify qualities such as responsibility, creativity, communication, and teamwork that you expect in a leader. Be clear about the time commitment and what success looks like for these roles.
2. Promote the Student Leadership Opportunity through a variety of methods from class announcements, emails, flyers, social media, and just by word of mouth to the students you think would make a good leader. Hold a short meeting or a series of online sessions to introduce students to the specific leadership opportunities, explain the application process, and answer any questions. This approach provides clarity and allows students to make an informed decision about applying.
3. Create an Application Process to help you assess a student's readiness for leadership in your music and arts program. This process should include an application form, recommendation letters from other faculty and peers, and interviews. Doing so provides a transparent, structured way to select leaders, and provides the opportunity to build their confidence for future application and interviewing experiences.
4. Recognize and Celebrate Existing Leaders through awards, public acknowledgment at events, or in newsletters. Highlighting the efforts of current student leaders can motivate others to consider taking on leadership roles within your fine arts program in the future.

What to Look for in Choosing Student Leaders

Choosing student leaders can be a very difficult task. You want to select students who you know the other students look up to, but need to be sure they are being looked up to for the right reasons. Here are some general thoughts about what to look for in student leaders:

1. Are they passionate about your program? Do they consistently demonstrate enthusiasm through their participation and initiative toward the program?
2. Have they demonstrated leadership and initiative before? Perhaps they have motivated students to get together outside of school to solve a particular problem related to upcoming rehearsals, performances, or other program logistical needs.
3. Do they work well with others? Students who act like they are “the only one who cares” will have a difficult time convincing other students to work together.
4. Do they take responsibility for their own actions? A student who cannot manage to show up on time, meet deadlines, and do their duties with a mature attitude is likely to lead other students in a negative way.

By considering these qualities, you can select student leaders who will not only contribute positively to your fine arts program but also help elevate the experiences of everyone involved. The ideal student leader is someone who is not only an exceptional artist but also a role model and a source of inspiration.

Leaders Are Selected…Now What?

1. Offer Leadership Orientation and Training where you can introduce the student leaders to the program's goals, culture, and their specific roles. Be sure to provide training on leadership basics, such as communication skills, conflict resolution, time management, and event planning. Offer ongoing support and mentorship throughout the year to help them develop their leadership abilities.
2. Provide Opportunities for Growth and Progression to keep students motivated and encourage them to stay engaged as a leader in the program long-term. As they gain experience, offer them more responsibility with key creative and administrative tasks, and allow them to contribute to shaping the future of your music, dance, or theatre program.
3. Create a Supportive and Collaborative Atmosphere by fostering an environment where student leaders are encouraged to work together and share ideas. Offer opportunities for your fine arts student leadership teams to collaborate, brainstorm, and create a sense of shared purpose.
4. Equip Leaders with the Right Tools to accomplish their tasks without getting bogged down. For Fine Arts programs that use software platforms such as CutTime to help with organization, student leaders can easily be added as authorized users to assist with operational tasks. Providing access to a fine arts oriented set of technology tools is key for students to successfully assist with overseeing library, uniforms, and other inventory jobs. Setting proper guardrails around access to sensitive financial and member data is essential too. Make sure you can adjust specific ‘access permission’ settings for your student leaders and see their activity in whatever tool you are using.

Building Organizational, Leadership, and Technology Skills

The experience of being a student leader helps build essential life skills such as time management, event planning, conflict resolution, and public speaking. These skills are valuable not just within the fine arts realm but in any professional setting, whether the student pursues a career in the arts or in another field.

With 30 years of experience as a Band Director in Odessa, Texas, I've had the privilege of working with numerous student leaders to manage the various tasks that are essential to running a successful music program. Students always appreciated the opportunity to take on responsibilities such as organizing and distributing music, assisting with rehearsal setups, managing the uniform room, and overseeing equipment. Personally, I also served as the librarian for the band libraries at my Junior High, High School, and University, which allowed me to be deeply involved in every aspect of the program. This hands-on experience played a significant role in shaping my career path and dedication to the performing arts field. I wish I had something like CutTime available back in those early years to help me with managing an extensive library, but we did not even have computers yet! With a modern software tool like CutTime, your student leaders will appreciate both the enhanced efficiency with completing assigned tasks along with the opportunity to broaden their technology proficiencies.