Passion, discipline, and emotion collide in every student performance, and that is especially true of marching bands underneath the Friday night lights. The mission of School Music License is to encourage music educators to let your students shine online. And while nothing can replace being a live audience member in the stands or the auditorium, leaning on technology to stream concerts and events allows family, friends, and the broader community to connect with your students in extraordinary ways.
While events like the Winter Choir Concert, Spring Band Showcase, and Graduation are a regular part of many schools’ arts calendars, there is so much more that is possible with School Music License.
This month, our License Holders at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, published a remarkable documentary about their marching band, including interviews with staff and students, rehearsal footage, and an incredible game day production. This documentary celebrates the exceptional culture that York High School students and staff possess, highlights their vibrant contribution to their community, and creates a nostalgic archive for their students to look back on in the future.
Licensing a streamed and archived documentary like this is possible with School Music License because three things are true:
- The video is non-commercial, meaning viewers do not need to pay or subscribe to see the content.
- The video features live student musicians, and the songs included are available in our catalog for use.
- The creators of the video listed all of the copyright and licensing attributions in the description section of the video, and they reported the works they used through their online account with us.
Landing the plane on the current school year? Preparing for the next one? Maybe a little bit of both at the same time? While it absolutely takes time, energy, resources, and dedicated staff to achieve a project like this, we know that music educators are innovative, inventive, and intentional, especially when it comes to celebrating their students.
Perhaps you are aware of the events you can stream with School Music License, but have you considered turning those streamed events into projects that showcase your students? That is the “wow factor” of York High School’s documentary, and it can benefit your school-community engagement, too. In February of 2024, we launched a blog post called “From Halftime Shows to Choir Concerts: Interdisciplinary Success in Your School Programs,” which highlights events like Friday night football games, pep rallies, and student assemblies, where live musicians come together with the athletic program to showcase the culture of their school. School Music License can help you license both the streamed event and the archived end result.
Watch positive school-community engagement soar, showcase student and staff achievements to grow your programs, and feel secure knowing your streams are legally licensed.
Take a look at what’s possible with School Music License.
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Our special thanks to Garret Garcia, Assistant Director of Communications for Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, and Executive Producer and Creator of This Is How We March | York High School Marching Band Documentary, for permission to share their video.
Featured photo used with permission from Canva.
