SEMO hopes bigger stipends double band size

Southeast Missouri State University hopes that bigger stipends will help double the size of the Golden Eagles Marching Band in the coming school year.

Last fall, 75 students were members of the school's marching band. Barry Bernhardt, who directs the marching band, said he'd like to see the band expand to 150 to 200 members.

Until now, students were given a stipend of about $150 to play in the band for the fall semester and one hour of course credit.

But Bernhardt said the stipend didn't cover the tuition for even one credit hour of classes.

That made it hard to recruit band members when other schools in the region were offering to pay more, he said.

"Now we are going to be able to compete with the best of them," Bernhardt said Friday.

"This is probably the biggest thing that has happened to our band program ever."

During the 2007-2008 academic year, all first-year members of the band will receive a $500 stipend. Second-year members will receive a $650 stipend, third-year members will receive a $750 stipend and fourth-year members will receive a $1,000 stipend.

Current members of the band will receive stipends based on how many years they've been in band. For example, a student who will be in his fourth year on the band this fall will receive a $1,000 stipend, Bernhardt said.

In addition, new students to the band will be eligible to receive an additional $1,000 stipend if they participated as high school students in any all-state band, orchestra or choir.

All-state musicians must perform with the marching band during the fall semester and in a music department ensemble during the spring semester.

"We want the all-staters here on our campus," Bernhardt said. "This is going to be a way for all-state musicians to get some money for college. They are going to get rewarded to play."

Bernhardt said the Golden Eagles band has spots for all-state orchestra and choir members as well as all-state band musicians.

All-staters seeking the all-staters stipend must contact Bernhardt to arrange an audition.

Bernhardt said the financial incentives apply to students whether or not they are music majors.

For new students to the band who are all-staters, the total financial aid including the regular stipend amounts to $1,500 per person for the 2007-2008 school year, said Bernhardt.

The band director likes that the university will pay higher stipends for returning band members. "It rewards them for staying involved," he said.

The financial incentives come at a good time for the band, he said.

The Golden Eagles will perform at the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival in October at the Edward Jones Dome. Bernhardt said 12,000 to 15,000 high school students and their parents could see their performance.

The festival performance will be a great recruiting tool, he said.

In addition, the Golden Eagles are scheduled to perform in the summer of 2008 at the prestigious Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland.

"This is the largest event of its kind in the world," Bernhardt said. "We are only the second United States college band invited to participate, and we are going for our second time."

The Golden Eagles performed at the military tattoo in 1999.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123