By HEATHER RUPPE
Colleton County Band of Blue Director Tom Finigan has been inducted into the S.C. Band Director Association Hall of Fame.
Finigan was inducted during a special ceremony held during upcoming All State Band Concert in Greenville on March 13th.
According to information provided by the Colleton County School District, Finigan was elected into the Hall of Fame for “all of his service to the association and his students, school and community.”
Finigan was originally supposed to be inducted in 2019; however, regulations related to COVID-19 prevented the ceremony from occurring.
During his induction ceremony, SCBDA President Chaz Paxton praised Finigan in a letter, stating that Finigan’s induction into the Hall of Fame was an “honor Finigan truly deserved.”
“I hope this day will be very special to you and your family, because I can assure you that it is very special to the South Carolina Band Directors Association,” Paxton said.
In addition to his being honored on a state level, Finigan was recognized by the Colleton County School Board during its recent March 15th meeting.
As a part of his induction into the Hall of Fame, a letter was submitted to the Hall of Fame officials by a former student of Finigan. That letter explained, from a students’ point of view, what Finigan had done for him during his time at Colleton County High School.
“My band experience was very team oriented and I had four amazing directors from 6-12th grade … And while I graduated a long time ago ….. once you graduate a band kid you are always a kid of that director,” said former student Dan Fogelberg.
“And while his bio lists all the reasons why and how he earned this honor today… let me tell you why he’s a hall a famer for me…. He and the director team taught me how to play an Instrument that ultimately changed my life. He worked with me for free for countless hours to prepare me for auditions. He paid for my auditions. He paid for my clinics. He paid for my trips if needed,” said Fogelberg, who added that Finigan also helped him to get a job with the Rock Hill Band. “When I visited my hometown throughout college, he would meet with me, eat a meal (and pay for it). He would also tell me to follow him to a nearby gas station to put gas in my car. This man, this band director, was there for me the day I got married.
“He has been there for major milestones in my career….”
Finigan is currently the band director at Colleton County High School and is also the coordinator of the Instrumental Music Program for the Colleton County schools.
He is a native of Walterboro and is in his 35th year with the local band program.
During his career, he has been either a student of the Band of Blue, a staff member or a band parent since 1976.
Finigan holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from USC and a Master of Education degree in school administration and supervision from The Citadel.
His professional affiliations make for a long list. They include the National Association for music Educators, National Band Association, Phi eta Mu Honorary Band Masters Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, Kappa Delta Epsilon, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, S.C. Music Educators Association and the S.C. Band Directors Association.
Before being promoted to the director, he served as an assistant director to the Band of Blue under former Director Bill Young. He, along with fellow assistant band directors Joe and Cathy Meshach, were assistants when the local band won four state marching band championships.
He is the past president of the S.C. Band Directors Association from 2003 to 2005 and has also served on the SCBDA Executive Board for the past 28 years.
He also served as the chairman of the SCBDA State Marching Committee for eight years and is currently the historian for the SCBDA and S.C. Music Educators Association.
