Not to slip a tangent in here, but there's another angle to consider in the "why archer?" question. As a bard, you wouldn't want to wear heavy armor. You need the freedom to sing and, if necesary, dance. Also, the connection to conjury makes sense because you need to be able to add a touch of magic to your songs which support your allies. It follows that you aren't too far removed from a battle medic in some extreme cases. Again, you need the freedom of movement.
So, you are singer with support abilities meant for battle. And when you sing, you might as well be waving a read flag, "Hey, look! I'm the idiot with the harp! Come kill me!" Wouldn't you want to be able to defend yourself? But hand-to-hand combat is a bad idea. You don't have any armor, remember? And your primary talent in magic is that of conjury and healing. I'd personally want to be able to defend myself from far away. Much easier to sing that way, then when someone is up in my face, putting his fist in my gut.
So, you are singer with support abilities meant for battle. And when you sing, you might as well be waving a read flag, "Hey, look! I'm the idiot with the harp! Come kill me!" Wouldn't you want to be able to defend yourself? But hand-to-hand combat is a bad idea. You don't have any armor, remember? And your primary talent in magic is that of conjury and healing. I'd personally want to be able to defend myself from far away. Much easier to sing that way, then when someone is up in my face, putting his fist in my gut.