Reginal Wright, TTBB Choirs R&R Chair
The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Choral Program
I’ve always been drawn to Stephen Covey’s writings on success, particularly his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As someone who thrives on process and structure, this book has been a constant guide throughout my teaching career. When I recently stepped into a new role that felt unfamiliar, I found myself revisiting Covey’s ideas, hoping to reconnect with his practical, process-oriented approach. As I read the book once again, it hit me—these same habits could be applied to building and maintaining successful choral music programs.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Empower students to take ownership of their musical journey by setting personal goals and reflecting on their progress. Perform frequent check-ins to ensure that students are meeting benchmarks. These could be as simple as having a student sing a part before or after class, during lunch, or before/after school.
Enhance teaching craft: Encourage a proactive mindset in students, fostering self-discipline and responsibility. Take advantage of the “master teachers” in your school. These don’t necessarily have to be music teachers—I have learned so much from science and algebra teachers over the course of my career.
Recruiting and retention: Work to place your program in proximity to all students. Perform in the community as often as possible—this could include pep rallies, football, basketball, volleyball, or soccer games. Visit campuses frequently to allow students to put a face with the program. Cluster concerts or even Tenor/Bass nights are definite ways to attract students to your program.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Take initiative as a choral director by building a clear vision and setting goals for the program. While setting the vision and goals, also bear in mind contributing factors as well as barriers to success. Establish patience and work in small steps, recognizing wins as they occur.
Plan concerts and repertoire strategically to align with the choir’s growth and community engagement. “Bloom where you are planted.” Work within students’ skill levels to highlight musical strengths.
Enhance teaching craft: Use backward design to structure lessons, keeping the end goal in focus.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize foundational skills and vocal techniques to build strong, sustainable musical habits. Don’t skip steps as the students progress. Steps skipped in private avail themselves publicly.
Balance musical excellence with fostering a sense of community and connection within the ensemble. Create social activities that will allow the choir opportunities to bond. If possible, plan 3 to 4 per year. Examples: Back-to-school social, Halloween trunk or treat, holiday social, Tenor/Bass video game nights.
Enhance teaching craft: Attend professional development opportunities to gather skills for your future fully developed choir. Take field trips with students to schools that have reached the performance, skill, and recruiting level you are aspiring to obtain.
Recruiting and retention: Demonstrate consistent commitment to student growth and well-being.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Create a supportive environment where all members feel valued and are encouraged to succeed. Form collaborative partnerships with administration and counseling staff.
Work to develop ways to shine a positive light on the choir—region choir wins, first division at festivals, and concert content on social media pages.
Foster collaboration among choir members through peer mentorship and teamwork exercises. Utilize vertical “choir teams” within your choir. Each team accumulates points based on various accomplishments and is rewarded at the end of the academic year. This ensures strong mentorship throughout the vertical team.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Actively listen to students’ needs, fostering an inclusive and empathetic rehearsal environment. It’s okay to set aside time in class to check on students’ well-being while still being productive. Students deserve to know that they have adult support in life as well as academics.
Adapt teaching strategies to honor the diverse perspectives within the choir. Program music that reflects the demographic mosaic of the student population, and allow students to lead repertoire that is in their native culture or tongue.
Habit 6: Synergize
Celebrate diversity and find strength in the collective talent and creativity of the ensemble. “Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another.” Allow students to support each other by combining their strengths.
Enhance teaching craft: Encourage creative problem-solving through group activities that value every voice. Allow synergistic relationships among students to create a growth environment where the teacher facilitates rather than directs.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Sustain the program by prioritizing self-care for both the director and students. Teachers cannot pour from empty cups. Carefully plan and execute lessons and rehearsals that maximize time so that work can remain at work.
Enhance teaching craft: Model a balanced approach to work and rest, teaching students the value of self-renewal. In this scenario, “more is caught than taught” as students see our actions as much as they hear our words.
Incorporating Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People into choral programs provides a structured framework for fostering growth, camaraderie, and long-term success. By being proactive, setting clear goals, prioritizing foundational skills, promoting a supportive environment, actively listening, collaborating, and maintaining balance, choir directors can build resilient and thriving programs that positively impact both students and the broader community.
