I had a pretty interesting debate going with some of my friends this morning about a scenario that ANYBODY that’s marched in an HBCU program has faced. WHEN do you hang up that band uniform for good? It’s a question that seems pretty simple in nature, but it’s one that’s RARELY answered in a simple manner. In fact, it’s one of the hardest things for some HBCU students to address when their time in school is done.
Ideally, the average undergraduate student wants to be in school 4 years and be done. That’s the standard. The reality varies from person to person, especially when it comes to students that are part of the sub-culture that is HBCU marching bands. For many, membership in an HBCU band program is a lifelong affair, even a generational one. The fellowship and camaraderie that a student builds through the experiences gained by membership and performance are second to none. Of course, there comes a day where the ACTIVE phase of playing in a high powered band program has to come to an end. For me, that end came when i had to make a choice between the course load I was carrying, and the time and effort that band brought to the table…Grades come first, so my marching days ended. Easy decision, isn’t it? Well, for MANY bandsmen, it’s not that easy.
Often, those lines are blurred. Whether it’s the cat that’s marching (as an adult student), or the guy/gal that’s marching whose enrollment IN school is dubious at best, it’s a very REAL problem that faces our band programs. It’s also indicative of the pressure that MANY programs are under to produce a quality product and put it on the field…Programs that DO field students that are older than the average kid have a certain stigma attached to them, fair or unfair. At the end of the day, it’s on both the program AND the individual to discern when it’s okay to participate and when it isn’t. How old is too old? That also is a question that can only be answered by the individual whose lacing them up every day.
Whether you’re young, or not-so-young, the priority of ANY student matriculating at an HBCU institution is academics. As pleasant (and in some cases addictive) as our craft is, it will ALWAYS take a back seat to the academic responsibility of being a student at an HBCU. If you’e in that 5th year of an unplanned 6 year degree plan, you’re priority SHOULDN’T be what next weeks field show is gonna look like.
You’ve got bigger fish to fry…
Until Next Entry…