An Honor Band never helped me negotiate a better pay check except applying at a new school that it meant something to. Believe it or not some schools do not want Honor Bands because it makes band too important. I was fired after my second HB. The superintendent said the kids were taking band too seriously. I've gotten only one requested raise in my entire career and it was after retirement when my last program crashed and burned (after my departure). I was asked to come back and get it back on track. The superintendent admitted that I should have gotten a raise years before. Go figure. Sometimes things have to get really bad before administration gives a hoot.