Community Arts Support Grant

The key indicator is the continued involvement of students in their schools and community music programs and their continued involvement and development beyond high school and our band. One of the key indicators is the level of turnover in our band. In other words, once a student starts with our band, how likely is it that they will return to play more than one year with us? Though we don't have an exact percentage, we know the vast majority of our students play with us multiple seasons and many will play with the band four years or more. We believe this is a definite indication of the value of the experience for these students. If the experience is not meeting their needs or the expectations of their parents, it is unlikely the students would continue in the program.We measure these goals by asking our band members and their parents. We formally and informally ask the members to evaluate the quality of the band's performances and the quality of their individual contributions, seeking their estimates of their growth in instrumental skills, improvisation, musical knowledge, and expectations of themselves as musicians and band members. At the end of the sessions, we periodically ask our students to formally review their band director and the support they received from the Association's program. The students do so by completing anonymous questionnaires. The results of these questionnaires are shared with the Board and the band's director. Ideas shared with us through these questionnaires form the basis for future changes which benefit our musicians and the organization.