The student body has filled the gymnasium or auditorium. The local press and media are in attendance. A long table sits center stage with several senior students seated behind it. The school pep band is off to the side playing, adding to the enthusiastic atmosphere.
What is this, you ask? It is the signing ceremony for the star school athletes who have chosen the college they will attend. Usually, they have scholarship offers from several schools and finally have decided where they will commit the next four years of their lives. It is a proud day for all.
These student athletes proved their talent to their respective sports team through hard work, dedication and teamwork. Often these individuals were selected for regional or state honor teams and have been featured in the local newspapers and/or local sports broadcasts. Like the television sit-com “Cheers” everyone knows their name.
These events are the school spirit, pride building events that most everyone loves and revels in. I say most because as much as I appreciate the accomplishments of these student athletes, what about those students who earn an academic scholarship to a prestigious school? Or the music student who is accepted to the Eastman School of Music?
Or the drama student who gets accepted to NYU? Or the students who are awarded scholarships to state universities, small colleges, the community college or vocational school? Why are there no “signing ceremonies” for these students? Are they any less deserving that the student athletes?
Don’t get me wrong. I love sports. I participated in basketball and track while in public school and even lettered in track running sprints, relays and hurdles. At the same time, I was in band, choir, speech and drama. Then and now, I still see a correlation between sports and the performing arts. Each in their own way are team activities. Even in track where there are individual events there is a cumulative team score.
A music ensemble like band, orchestra or choir is a team, just using a different medium.
When I was teaching my philosophy for the music ensemble was, “There is no second string or bench in this ‘team’. You are all first string players, starters.”
Another point I tried to emphasize was that every player was vital for the ensemble’s success, no matter how large or small. “Yes, we can perform without you. BUT we will perform better with you. Each one of you is an important component of this “team” of musicians.” Even in theater, for every performer on stage there may be two to four behind the scenes making the team effort work seamlessly; lights, sound, set, costumes, makeup, etc.
During my teaching career I was fortunate to work with athletic coaches who truly appreciated the band’s contribution to sporting events, pep rallies and other sports related activities. In fact, I have a friend from college who played trumpet in nearly every band available who became an award -winning coach and sports writer. Even in retirement he posts videos of himself playing trumpet with audio tracks of big bands and his own renditions of “Happy Birthday” for friends. There are even athletes who do sports and music at the same event, like this football player/musician from Killeen, TX directing the marching band at halftime.
My question remains. Why is so much attention given to college bound athletes signing letters of intent? Is it because sports is such a prominent element of our society?
Think about it. Every evening local news broadcast has three parts: News, Weather and SPORTS. Some even have a feature highlighting the channel’s “student athlete of the week.” Ever see a segment on the “student musician of the week” or “student actor of the week”?
A Trend for the Evolution of Music Scholarship Signing Ceremony
While researching this topic I found several articles on schools who actually did have a signing ceremony for their arts students. I was so pleased to learn of this rare occurrence.
https://www.killeenisd.org/fine_arts_hosts_signing_ceremony
With the above events in mind, I might be able to rewrite the first paragraph of this blog like this:
The student body fills the gymnasium or auditorium. The local press and media are in attendance. A long table sits center stage with several senior students seated behind it. The school’s football team and cheerleaders are off to the side chanting and dancing, adding to the enthusiastic atmosphere.
What is this, you ask? It is the signing ceremony for the star school musicians, artists and actors who have chosen the college they will attend. Usually, they have scholarship offers from several schools and finally have decided where they will commit the next four years of their lives. It is a proud day for all.
Finding the above examples of scholarship signing ceremonies for students in the arts was a wonderful example of what I am talking about. Hopefully this trend will continue.
There is hope.
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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tbmusic
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Tim Baldwin Music 
