Music to Their Ears: 15 Band Seniors Earn Scholarships

Trump+card%3A+Trumpet+player+Ty-Jai+Thompson+has+been+a+member+of+the+Marching+Blue+Jays+band+for+four+years.+His+work+paid+off+in+the+form+of+college+scholarships.+Besides+trumpet%2C+he+also+plays+piano%2C+baritone+and+trombone.

Victoria Holley

Trump card: Trumpet player Ty-Jai Thompson has been a member of the Marching Blue Jays band for four years. His work paid off in the form of college scholarships. Besides trumpet, he also plays piano, baritone and trombone.

Being in the marching band comes with benefits, according to senior band members.

Getting scholarships from colleges is one of them.

All 15 seniors in the marching band received at least one college scholarship for their musicianship, and some, including seniors Ty-Jai Thompson and Kraig O’Neal, received band scholarships to multiple colleges.

Thompson was offered $11,000 per year to attend Stillman College in Alabama. He also received a scholarship to Tennessee State University, which he says has been his dream school since eighth grade, and he plans to attend Tennessee State. His TSU scholarship offers him in-state tuition rates, he says.

“Band kind of saved my life,”
Thompson said. “I wasn’t doing well in school and band is my safe-haven to get me to college.”

O’Neal was offered $8,000 per year to attend Stillman but has instead decided to attend Tennessee State with Thompson, where he was offered in-state tuition rates if he plays in the marching band.

Like Thompson, O’Neal chose Tennessee State because, he said, he likes the campus environment and the people he met there were “cool.” He says he hopes to be a walk-on for their basketball team as well.

“I feel grateful and blessed,” said O’Neal because he was selected to go to Tennessee State.

All 13 other seniors in the marching band also received music scholarships of varying amounts, said Band Director David Miller.