First official movie stills, then the official trailer and the official poster. That’s how the Frost School of Music announced their collaboration with the new “Mean Girls” movie on Instagram, providing little context to what role Frost played in the film.
In their first post, @umfrostschool noted a “special surprise,” while the second and third posts hinted at Frost’s film debut without divulging any details.
The debut in question is a Frost sweatshirt worn by a background “band geek” during the famous cafeteria scene.
“Within this fictional world, maybe that student wants to attend the Frost School of Music, or maybe they’ve already been accepted there. Either way, it’s totally ‘fetch!’” said Stephanie Hernandez, the Director of Marketing and Communications of Frost School of Music.
The truth was confirmed by TMH after reaching out to the Frost School of Music PR team.
“The buzz around the Frost School of Music’s appearance in the film has been celebrated by the school’s students, faculty and alumni,” Hernandez said.
Despite the excitement from Frost staff, some UM students had mixed feelings.
“Very curious as to how they managed to get that in there. I think it would be funny if the School of Music didn’t have any involvement at all and the costume person found it at a thrift store ,and now they’re hyping it up like they had anything to do it with it,” said media management junior Bella Baldessari.
Others echo the same feelings from the Frost School staff.
“It’s good to see the artistic side of Miami being represented like this,” said Jordelle Beja, a junior studying motion pictures.
Even Frost School of Music Dean Shelton G. Berg has joined the conversation.
“It’s only fitting for an iconic legacy brand like the Frost School of Music to be aligned with “Mean Girls,” a film that continues to make an indelible mark on new generations,” Dean Berg said. “It’s just one more way we can convey the promise of a best-in-class education at one of the top music schools in the world with an even greater number of people across the U.S. and the globe.”
In celebration of the partnership, Frost held a special screening of the movie musical on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for Frost students.
And for all students — Frost or not — the sweatshirt featured in the hit film is now available for purchase at the campus bookstore. The school is currently planning a giveaway for this sweatshirt to the students of UM.
“You don’t just need to watch “Mean Girls” to see a student wear a Frost School of Music sweatshirt — just look at the hundreds of Frost School students, alumni, faculty and others who are wearing one, too!” Hernandez said.
Despite how small a moment like this may seem, there is something encouraging about seeing UM on the big screen. Frost has received acclaim from various places, including The Hollywood Reporter, which named it one of the top music schools in the world.
“The industry-leading magazine [called] out the ‘Frost Method,’ which ‘gives students a grip on the technological and business side of a career in music, as well as the skills to excel as an artist,’ and its location in ‘the middle of the red-hot Miami art scene,’” Hernandez said.
Now on the big screen, Frost continues its legacy as a school producing top artists.