Kilgore College responds to criticism after photos of discarded music in dumpster shared online

KILGORE, Texas ( KETK ) — Kilgore College has released a statement after pictures circulated social media of music being discarded in dumpster, causing many to question the college’s motivations.

Kilgore College released the statement on Monday and said they have been throwing away material that was stored in the music library. The college said this does not signify the school is reducing or removing any of their fine arts programs.

Instead, Kilgore College said the majority of the pieces removed are older sheet music, CDs or albums that have been in a storage for a number of years and are no longer of use due to digital sheet music and other technology advancements.

“The fine arts department has been sorting through the collection this past year and has maintained a great deal of music, but from time to time, these inventories need to be reduced to allow for the addition of new materials, new technologies and new programs,” Kilgore College said.

According to the statement, Kilgore College Board of Trustees approved an additional $100,000 for band scholarships, new state-of-the-art lighting for Van Cliburn Auditorium and will improve the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center. The choir program was reportedly awarded a grant in April by the Kilgore College Board of Trustees to purchase iPads to move to digital music.

“Kilgore College wants to make it clear that it’s proud of the dedicated music faculty, talented students, and generous patrons and supporters over the years that have left such an amazing legacy,” the release said.

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