Band students shouldn’t be forgotten by governor

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and others tend to blow off (pun intended) bands. Consider this, bands and choirs in the public schools are many times the largest group of students who are members of a single discipline for the entire school year.

When football season has ended, the entertainment part of the band year is essentially over and the academic portion begins. Except for families of these students and school administrators who attend performances, most lay people think band, like football, is done for the year. Not so. Many hours of individual practice and ensemble rehearsals go on with hardly any notice outside of the rehearsal hall. This is the ‘study’ time of the year; learning new challenging music, discovering great literature from the past and preparing for honor auditions — all-region and all-state as well as college scholarships.

By the way, check with the counselor’s office, but many times these are the students who garner a large portion of the college academic scholarships.

The parents and other family members of these students vote. In elections they turn out proportionally in greater numbers than the general public. So, Gov. Hutchinson might want to consider the political consequences of his decisions regarding bands and choirs during this time of covid-19.

These students, for the most part, live to perform during their school years. Give them a workable, well-planned way to do that. RAMEY HERREN Cave Springs