Playing into college

MILTON — Milton High School hosted a band-signing ceremony on April 23 for a dozen seniors who plan to perform at the college level.

The 12 seniors signing with five colleges were Alyssa Turner, Meghan Condron, Karmen Proffitt, Marisol Baduya, Alex Merritt, Raywood Miller, Kameron Fewox, Bryan Moses, Xavier Sapp, Lauren Sauls and Justin Wilkins.

Representatives from the University of South Alabama, William Carey College, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Florida and Pensacola State College sat in during the signings for their future band members.

Band director Gary Weaver and assistant band director Michael Shultz planned the event, now in its third year. The ceremony started with the Milton High School Mighty Black & Gold Band performing two selections, followed by the signings.

Weaver said that all of the seniors will be receiving scholarships to their respective schools.

“It is a great opportunity to showcase the success of our senior members who have chosen to continue their band experience beyond high school,” Weaver said.  “These students have worked hard to improve their musical skills since middle school and it is extremely rewarding to see them receiving the recognition and attention at the college level.”

“These students are some of the hardest working students at Milton High School and deserve to be recognized not just for their accomplishments, but also for this commitment to continue at the college level,” Milton High Assistant Band Director Michael Shultz said. “It is so nice to see the fruits of their labor payoff in a huge way with earning scholarships to help them through their college careers.”

“What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate students," Milton High Principal Timothy Short, said. "Mr. Weaver and Mr. Schultz do such an amazing job of promoting music, the Mighty Black & Gold Band, and their students whenever they have the opportunity. This is just another example showcasing the efforts and talents of the students involved in their program. Congratulations to all of the young men and women that have the opportunity to further their educational careers by using music, as well as the lessons they’ve learned in band, to aid in their journey.”

To see a video of the performance, go to www.srpressgazette.com.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Playing into college