The Application of a Total Quality Management Approach to Support Student Recruitment in Schools of Music

One of the greatest challenges music programme administrators face is that of recruiting students for their programmes. This article suggests that administrators should investigate the benefits of implementing a comprehensive total quality management programme in their institutions. The core values, techniques and tools embodied in the Total Quality Management approach provide a proven approach to quality management and process improvement. The article describes the principles of Total Quality Management and the efforts of a team of teachers and stakeholders of a mid-sized music department at a public university to apply this method to the difficult problem of student recruiting.