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Photo by Beth Gibson
Singing Cadets respond to Robert Boone’s
direction during a practice session in the MSC.
The group, started in 1894, has both civilians
and cadets. They recently completed a 10-day
tour of south Texas during Christmas break
and have more tours scheduled for the spring
semester.
Singing Cadets promote
A&M in 40-stop tour
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By CINDY GEE
Battalion Staff
Robert Boone has a unique job — unique because he’s
director of vocal music programs at a school that has no
music department.
He directs a 60-man choir that practices an hour a day
and performs 40 to 50 times a year to promote the image
of Texas A&M University. When Mrs. Earl Rudder
called Boone 21 years ago to tell him that the Singing
Cadets needed a director, he quit his job in El Campo
and became director of the then all-Corps group.
Boone, 54, a fatherly man who attributes his youthful
appearance to his job, takes great pride in “his” Singing
Cadets. He makes sure the men do little things like
make their beds and clean up the bathroom when
they’re staying in homes on tour, all to help promote
Texas A&M’s image.
“I’m a counselor, I’m a father confessor, and I’m a
stem father, ” he said. “I think it’s part of my job to help
them grow as people and individuals. 1 love my job; it’s
exciting, stimulating, never dull and hard work.”
At 5 p.m. the Singing Cadets file into their practice
room in the Memorial Student Center basement.
Although the group got its name when Texas A&M was
strictly Corps, most of its current members are not
cadets. It’s evident that these men enjoy their practice,
it’s more like a release, they said.
“I’m a performer myself,” Boone said, “I think the
biggest satisfaction I get is knowing we all work together
towards giving a good performance. ”
They use guitar, piano and drums to accompany their
spiritual, patriotic, and pop vocals. They don’t practice
for grades, money or recognition on campus, only be
cause they enjoy singing and performing.
“Music is our vehicle to do what we do,” Boone said.
“We know that we’re a public relations arm for this
University, and we take great pride in doing it solidly. ”
Boone said the group is like a fraternity, caring and
helping each other. He said he rarely has to discipline
anyone in the group.
“If it’s a case of morality like homosexuality, excessive
drinking or dope, I step in,” he said. “In the 20 years I’ve
been here. I’ve only had to kick out three guys.”
To become a Singing Cadet, men must first perform a
vocal audition, then interview with members of the
group, then the group must vote them in.
They operate on an $85,000-a-year budget traveling
throughout Texas performing at schools and churches,
for banquets and conventions and beauty pageants. In
past years they have performed in Romania as “ambassa
dors for friendship, ” in the White House by presidential
invitation, on the Ed Sullivan and Mike Douglas televi
sion shows and for the Miss Teenage America Pageant.
“We represent this school to more places and more
people than any other group,” said Alan York, a Singing
Cadet. “It’s not just a stand-there group, and it’s not just
a concert. We’re all hams; we like to be on stage. We
open every show with the Spirit of Aggie land.”
Boone said the $85,000 from the University returns to
the school in several forms. The Singing Cadets perform
enough to get most of the money back. The group is paid
$500 a show or 40 percent of gross, whichever is larger.
If the group is sponsored by an A&M Mother’s Club, the
60 percent profit comes to Texas A&M in the form of
scholarships, he said.
“Almost all of our hosts are Ags,” said Rob Statler,
another member of the choir. “Some are wilder than we
are. Some are millionaires, and some are just out of
college. A lot of people invite us back to their homes. ”
Grinning, Statler and York listed certain drawbacks of
being on tour — too much food, run of the hosts’ houses
and free use of the hosts’ cars.
Boone said the tours are not nearly as glamourous as
people sometimes think they are.
“You do a lot of bus riding* you eat, then you do a
show, then you do a lot more bus riding, eat and do
another show,” he said. “You’ve got to work very hard to
make the tenth show as good as the first show.”
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THE BATTALION
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1981
Page 3
AGGIE
CLEANERS
By FRANK L. CHRISTLIEB
Battalion Reporter
It’s not every day parents of stu
dents are awarded for being parents.
At Texas A&M University, pa
rents can win such an award.
Parent’s Day Chairman Mike
Bonin said a contest will be held to
pick the Aggie “Parents of the Year. ”
He said the contest is one of several
activities connected with Parent’s
Day, April 26.
The first step for any student in
terested in nominating his parents is
to pick up an application at the Stu
dent Government Office in the
Memorial Student Center, Bonin
said. These should be filled out and
returned by March 2.
After the deadline, the applica
tions will be judged by the Parent’s
Day Committee, composed of 18
students. Bonin said applicants will
be judged mostly on community par
ticipation and parental guidance.
On Parent’s Day, a program will
be held in Rudder Tower to
announce and award the winning pa
rents. The couple will receive pla
ques, tickets to an Aggie football
game next fall and a reserved hotel
room in the MSC while they are here
for the game.
Bonin said the winners are some
times notified before Parent’s Day,
but it is usually better to let the
award be a surprise.
He added that, with more student
participation in the nominating pro
cess, the contest will be a greater
success. Bonin said he and the other
committee members hope to see an
increase in the number of parents
nominated this year, since there
were only about 30 applicants last
year.
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350A MSC
OPEN TO PUBLIC
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