Texas A&M’s internationally famous Singing Cadets are celebrating their 125th anniversary this year.
As one of A&M’s oldest organizations, the Singing Cadets have represented the university all across America and the world, spreading the Aggie Spirit through music. What started out as a nine-member glee club has transformed into an internationally recognized chorale.
Patrick Sheridan is a first-year master’s student in educational administration and human resource development and a fifth-year member of the Singing Cadets. He said the organization represents a tradition that’s here to stay.
“We were founded 17 years after the university was established and we’ve been here ever since,” Sheridan said. “A lot of old Ags know the Singing Cadets and it just shows that even though a lot of things change, some things never change.”
The Singing Cadets are no strangers to travel, according to geophysics senior and traditions chairman Josh Simmons. The group takes trips throughout the year, including weekends and academic holidays.
“Part of our mission statement is to advance public relations for Texas A&M, so we are a public relations organization,” Simmons said. “We get to go to places all over Texas and the nation as ambassadors of goodwill for A&M.”
The Singing Cadets have performed for high-profile guests, including all five living former presidents. Sheridan said one of his favorite memories was performing for former President George H.W. Bush at his residence in Maine.
“In summer 2017 we went to Kennebunkport, Maine, where President George H.W. Bush spends his summers,” Sheridan said. “We got to sing in the living room with him and Barbara and one of the former prime ministers of the U.K. Another cool moment was the Deep From The Heart concert for hurricane relief. We got to sing the national anthem on stage with all five living former presidents and then [“God Bless the U.S.A.”] with Lee Greenwood, the creator of the song.”
Performing in Maine was an experience Singing Cadets public relations manager Ty Wilson said he will never forget. Wilson is an agricultural communications and journalism senior.
“When we finished performing for George and Barbara Bush in their living room, the U.K. prime minister spoke to us,” Wilson said. “He told us to always remember brotherhood and to never forget the men standing around us.”
As the group celebrates their 125th anniversary, they are looking forward to a number of notable milestones in the upcoming year, said Wilson.
“We are changing our look across the board,” Wilson said. “We’re performing more than we ever have before on and around campus, and we’re trying to connect with more high school students.”
Above all, Simmons said he is proud of the group’s outreach and hospitality to prospective and incoming students.
“I’m super proud of the way our program helps the freshmen,” Simmons said. “Freshmen come in as probationary members and we help them get acclimated both to college and to the group. I’m proud of how helpful we can be to them. That’s the second half of our mission statement and it’s the coolest thing I’ve gotten out of the group.”
Wilson said the organization provides members with unique opportunities 125 years in the making.
“The Singing Cadets does a really good job of not tailoring the member to the experience but tailoring the experience to the member,” Wilson said. “There’s no other organization on campus that’s going to connect you to people the way the Singing Cadets does.”