Adderley, a Catalyst for Collaboration and Change

Cedric Adderley, a music major turned administrator, knows how to stay in the background while trailblazing synergistic innovations quietly at the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. He is the president of the school.

Adderley works with an engaged board of directors, a capable faculty, and students who are eager to learn at the campus of a residential high school. He is the first to say that innovations result from collaboration and all share in achievements and work. No one person can claim credit for what results from the efforts of so many, he said.

Lodging and meals are provided for all students of the two-year course. So, students don’t need to be bused here and there.  With no travel time, students can fully devote their time to their respective crafts.

About 100 of the state’s most gifted students each year make the cut after auditioning for entrance spots. Then, they make their way to study any of the various disciplines, from classic academics to creative writing, dance, drama, film, and other subjects.

The total student body is about 235 strong.  The school has a two-year curriculum, 11th and 12th grades.

Adderley has seen many changes during his 10 years as President of the school. Instead of working independently as they had in the distant past, departments now make a collaborative effort. More growth, efficiency, and dynamic synergy is the result, Adderley said.

Cedric Adderly serves as the fourth President of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, with over twenty-five years of experience in the field of education. He has taught on all levels and served in roles of increasing leadership from elementary through the collegiate level. He most recently served as Dean of the College at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to that appointment, he served as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. His resume includes additional faculty and administrative appointments at Benedict College and North Carolina A&T State University. He began his career as a music educator in the South Carolina Public Schools, teaching both instrumental and choral music.

An accomplished composer and music educator, Adderley has served as a visiting evaluator for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC), and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Adderley earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education from East Carolina University and both the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of South Carolina.

Illustrative alumni include

Mary Fishburne played in Boundless.

MARY FISHBURNE

Patina Miller starred in Madame Secretary.

The school is celebrating 25 years at 15 University Street in Greenville, overlooking Falls Park, and it plans to renovate the dining hall first, then the living quarters.

Adderley said we have tried to produce a model for other schools, even for those across the country. Whatever the case, we have quietly strove for excellence. Let others comment on our work.

There is more than ample talent in major hubs in the Upstate and the Lowcountry to keep us busy, Adderley said, but the school vigorously recruits students from all 46 districts of the state, he said.

Sure, some of the students from remote areas may not be as prepared as others, but in time, they also excel.

PATINA MILLER

We don’t stop with the arts; we also have a strong academic curriculum, Adderley said.

Advanced students can opt to take any of the following academic sources.

• Art History

• Biology

• Calculus (AB)

• English Language & Composition

• Environmental Science

• French

• Music Theory

• Spanish

• Statistics

• US Government and Politics

• US History

When asked what keeps everyone on the same page, Adderley says, we put the mission first: talented students of the state. We simply lead with that commitment, and everything else falls in place.

Our accrediting agency adheres to a national standard. As a team, we constantly make improvements. We are commissioned as a preprofessional art school.  So, we examine ourselves, make constant adjustments, and improve.  The result is that we have a clean bill of health for the next two years.

The formative years

Both Adderley’s parents were teachers. So also were many of his uncles and aunts. This extended family was always setting the bar very high for him to achieve at a professional level from his earliest years.

Adderley saw strong commitment in his family. This motivated him to become more serious about his studies.

Adderly says with a smile, we have found diamonds in the rough, talented students that grew with instructions and nurturing. We polish them and move on to a new class of very talented students.

We have a strong outreach program that finds and recruits the best students. When they eventually come to our workshops here on campus, it may be the only experience that they have ever had with an arts program. So, they return to the communities with much to tell others.

Even if they don’t qualify for entrance to a class that year, they may make a subsequent class. So, it’s a multifaceted process that produces the most positive results for all: the school and the students. 

When asked about his formative years, Adderley concedes that he has always had the goal of becoming a good example for other teenagers. He continued to hone the leadership skills that he had developed in his early teens.

Adderley experienced firsthand the power of observing persons with good study habits and seeing what that produces in time.

If my students look back at me and call me a good example, then I would have accomplished my goal toward them.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to formulate a plan and to focus on that plan until it became a reality.

Adderley said that we all need mentors to improve our skill set. I’ve had mentors who guided me to the next level. Now, I am a mentor for many other students. So, we keep passing it on to the next generation of artists and academics, he said.