Picture this: It’s a Friday morning on your campus. Cars pull into a reserved parking lot by the music building. Out step the First Chair players from high school bands and orchestras across your region—students who already lead, already practice, and already love what you do every day.

By early afternoon, they’ve rehearsed side-by-side with your ensemble, attended a master class on college auditions, toured campus, shared a meal in a dedicated dining space with your director and student leaders, listened to a live chamber group, and left with both a gift and a personal invitation back for future master classes and concerts.

That is the power of First Chair First Friday.

The Core Concept

On the first Friday of each month, your program hosts a First Chair First Friday Rehearsal Visit for:

• First Chair players in school bands and orchestras within a 90-mile radius of your campus
• Primarily sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Students:

1. Sit in on a rehearsal with one of your ensembles
2. Participate in a master class on preparing for a college audition
3. Take a campus and music facilities tour
4. Enjoy lunch on campus in a dedicated dining room with your ensemble director and collegiate ensemble members
5. Hear a small ensemble perform during the first 10 minutes of lunch
6. Receive a gift (T-shirt or sweatshirt and a sticker for their instrument case)
7. Leave with a schedule of upcoming master classes and concerts, including RSVP seating reserved just for them and their families

Repertoire for the rehearsal is emailed to students three to five weeks in advance of their scheduled First Friday visit, so they arrive prepared—not sightreading—and can truly enjoy and contribute to the rehearsal.

If your School of Music has both a band and an orchestra: String players will typically rehearse with the orchestra, while winds and percussion should be given the option, at the time of invitation or RSVP, to select whether they’d like to rehearse with the band/wind ensemble or the orchestra. This choice allows them to experience the ensemble that best aligns with their interests and future plans.

Step 1: Monthly First Chair Questionnaire

(From Your School — Not a Third-Party Platform)

Once a month, an online questionnaire should be sent to:

• Band directors
• Orchestra directors

This outreach should come from one of the following:

• The Dean of the School of Music
• The school’s music recruiter (if your program has one)
• The ensemble director hosting the First Chair First Friday

The questionnaire should ask directors to:

• List current First Chair players in each ensemble
• Include grade level, instrument, and contact email for each student
• Indicate whether each student is available for a First Chair First Friday visit in upcoming months

It should also ask:

• Whether the director is able to provide direct parent/guardian contact information,
• or
• Whether, due to school policy, the director must distribute invitations directly to students and families.

If the director can share parent contact information, your school should:

• Send a direct invitation email to parents, including:
• A link to the online RSVP/questionnaire for the visit
• Links or download access to the rehearsal music (3–5 weeks in advance)
• Event details, schedule, parking, and meal information

If the director cannot share parent contact information, your school should make the process as easy and turnkey as possible by:

• Providing a ready-to-send email template addressed to students and parents
• Including in that template:
• A link to the online RSVP/questionnaire
• Links or download access to the rehearsal music
• All event details and logistics
• Attaching this template to the original email to the director so they can simply forward it.

This approach respects school policy, reduces the director’s workload, and ensures families receive one clear, complete communication.

Step 2: Smart, Seasonal Invitation Strategy

• October–December:
  Focus the majority of invitations on seniors, who are finalizing college lists and audition plans.
• January and beyond:
  Shift the emphasis to juniors and sophomores, while still accommodating interested seniors.

Each invited student (via parent email or director-forwarded email) should receive:

• A personalized invitation referencing their First Chair status
• The date, schedule, and expectations for the visit
• A clear question asking winds and percussion which ensemble they prefer to rehearse with (band/wind ensemble or orchestra)
• A link to the online RSVP/questionnaire
• Links or attachments with rehearsal music (3–5 weeks in advance) so they will not be sightreading when they arrive

Step 3: Planning the Day (with Marching Season in Mind)

A sample First Chair First Friday schedule might look like:

• 9:00–9:30 a.m. – Arrival, check-in, warm-up
• 9:30–11:00 a.m. – Ensemble rehearsal with First Chair guests integrated into sections
• 11:00–11:45 a.m. – Master class: “How to Prepare for a College Audition”
• 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Lunch in a dedicated dining room
• First 10 minutes: performance by a small ensemble (chamber group, jazz combo, or a select student ensemble)
• Remainder of lunch: ensemble director and collegiate players dine at the tables with the visiting students, intentionally mixing guests and current majors for conversation
• 12:30–12:45 p.m. – Distribution of gift items and future events schedule
• 12:45–1:00 p.m. – Short facilities tour wrap-up and Q&A
• 1:00 p.m. – Departure

Important during marching season:

Many students must be back on their high school campus in time for Friday night football and marching band commitments. Plan your day so that all visiting students can leave your campus by 1:00 p.m. This respect for their marching obligations builds trust with both students and directors.

Step 4: Respecting Real-World Logistics

Because Fridays are busy for directors:

• Expect that students themselves will be driving or a parent/guardian will bring them.
• Don’t assume the director will attend; design the day so students can navigate it confidently.

Your invitation packet (to parents, or to the director to forward) should include:

• A parking pass for a clearly designated lot near the music building
• Directions to the parking lot and detailed arrival instructions
• Information about check-in location and who will greet them
• Meal passes for campus dining (if needed for your system)
• A clear RSVP form and deadline so you can plan seating, ensemble placement, tours, meals, and gifts appropriately

An easy online RSVP form—linked directly in the parent email—ensures accurate headcounts and smoother planning.

Step 5: Designing a Positive Musical Experience

1. Send the music early.
   Parts go out three to five weeks in advance, ideally with a reference recording. The goal is that students arrive prepared, not sightreading.
2. Choose repertoire intentionally.
   Include at least one piece (e.g., Grade 3–4) squarely in the comfort zone of advanced high school players, even if another piece is more challenging.
3. Avoid a single, overly difficult focus.
   A rehearsal that feels like constant struggle can undermine the experience. You want them to leave thinking, “I played well here. I fit here. I could grow here.”
4. Integrate them, don’t isolate them.
   
   • Seat them within sections, not in a separate block.
   • Use section hosts (your principal players) to greet them, help mark parts, and guide entrances.
5. Honor ensemble choice for winds and percussion.
   When students choose band or orchestra in the RSVP, honor that choice whenever possible.

Step 6: Add a Master Class on College Auditions

A focused master class can cover:

• Choosing audition repertoire
• What faculty listen for
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Professional presentation and communication

This converts the day into practical, future-facing preparation, not just a fun visit.

Step 7: Gifts and Future Invitations

Tangible gifts:

• A T-shirt or sweatshirt from your program
• A sticker for their instrument case

Future event schedule:

Send students home with:

• A printed or digital schedule of upcoming master classes, guest residencies, and concerts
• Clear RSVP instructions and note that preferred seating is held for First Chair First Friday guests and their families

Step 8: Capstone Event – First Chair First Friday in April

On the First Friday in April, host a capstone festival:

Daytime: All-Day Rehearsal

Invite all First Chair First Friday attendees from that academic year to return for:

• An all-day rehearsal with your ensemble
• Sectionals, combined rehearsals, and coaching with faculty and advanced students

Early Evening: Dinner & Concert

Dinner for visiting students and families—again in a dedicated dining room, with faculty and student leaders intentionally seated among guests

A First Chair First Friday Concert, featuring:

• Your ensemble
• Select pieces that include visiting First Chair players
• Brief remarks from faculty, dean, or recruiter

Family-Focused Recruiting

During the day, include:

• Sessions on music majors and double majors
• Meetings or Q&A with admissions and financial aid
• Informal conversations with studio teachers and current majors

This becomes a culminating experience that helps families see a realistic, exciting future for their student on your campus.

Step 9: Thoughtful Enhancements to Deepen Connection

Beyond the core structure, a few additional enhancements can add polish and depth:

• Student Ambassadors:
  Assign current majors as “hosts” for pairs or small groups of visitors—from check-in through the end of the day.
• Photo Moment:
  Create a simple “First Chair First Friday” photo backdrop and offer a group picture with the director at the end of rehearsal or lunch. Send the photo to families afterward.
• Mini Panel at Lunch:
  During or just after dining, have 2–3 current students briefly share why they chose your school and what surprised them (in a good way) about college music life.
• Handwritten Notes:
  After the event, send a short, handwritten note from the ensemble director or dean to particularly engaged students. This small gesture stands out.

These touches communicate, “You are seen. You are welcome here.”

Follow-Up and Long-Term Impact

After each First Chair First Friday—and especially after the April capstone:

• Send thank-you emails to families and directors with a brief recap and, if permitted, photos.
• Remind them of the upcoming events schedule and how to access reserved seating.
• Track which students return multiple times; these are strong candidates for deeper recruitment conversations.

Over time, this becomes a monthly and annual rhythm of relationship-building with the strongest young musicians in your region.

Putting It All Together: High Impact, Low Cost

First Chair First Friday is a high-impact, low-cost recruiting strategy.

You are primarily leveraging:

• Rehearsal blocks you already schedule
• Modest expenses for lunch, T-shirts/sweatshirts, and stickers
• Existing facilities, ensembles, and faculty time

In return, you gain repeated, meaningful contact with the exact students most likely to thrive in your program.

Imagine one sophomore:

• Attends First Chair First Friday in 10th grade
• Returns again as a junior
• Comes back as a senior
• Participates in one or more April capstone events

Final Thoughts

By the time they audition, they may have been on your campus four or five times. They know your rehearsal room, your director, your student leaders, even your dining hall. Thanks to chamber music at lunch, shared meals in a dedicated space, and multiple points of contact, your School of Music feels less like an option and more like a home they’re returning to.

For a relatively small investment of time and resources, you create a pipeline of students who are prepared, excited, and already emotionally connected to your program. Done well, First Chair First Friday doesn’t just fill your ensembles—it shapes a stronger, more committed community of future music majors and double majors who have chosen your campus again and again.