Past projects 8
Building the Orff Experience: The Bass
Funded Nov 29, 2013Dear Donors,
Let me first apologize for the tardiness of my thank you packages. It seems the school year has caught up with me and I was not able to meet my deadlines. I won't bore you with excuses, but I am sincerely sorry that I have waited this long to respond.
My students were so excited to unpack such a big box! The bass xylophone was the last piece of our complete set of instruments, it was also the largest! My kindergartners especially love playing the bass, they think its fun to play an instrument that is about as large as they are!
It has been a lot of fun using the new bass xylophone in lessons, the students enjoy playing it but it also opens a whole new musical concept of low sounds! In my general music classroom, we did not have any bass instruments other than the low register of the piano. It's a brand new sound to so many of my students, and it's a sound that they need to be able to recognize later in the curriculum.
The addition of the bass xylophone is especially meaningful to me. I began teaching at this school two years ago. When I arrived, we had a few sets of boomwhackers and a small variety of non-pitched percussion instruments. Being a former band teacher, I was new to the curriculum of general music and had a very little idea of what I was supposed to be doing on the first day of school. Over the course of these last two years I've developed my skills at teaching the art and collected an entire set of Orff keyboard instruments and other various tools along the way from amazing donors like you. I've decided to take on a new job in a new school district next year. I feel as though this bass xylophone, completing the set, was a great way to round off my experience here with these amazing kids. When I came here the music program was struggling, as I leave here I am in awe of the progress we have made. Much of that progress is due to donors like you who supported me and my students over the years.
Thank you so much for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 2 other donors.Let's Build a Band Program: Bell Kits
Funded Jan 10, 2014Dear Donors,
Let me first apologize for the tardiness of my impact letter, it seems the school year has caught up with me and I was not able to meet my deadlines. I won't bore you with any excuses, but I am very sorry that I have put this letter off for so long.
My students were ecstatic to receive their new bell kits. My students and I were amazed at the sound quality and lightness of the kits. Never in my 3 years of teaching have I seen an entire class of students so excited to take home all their instruments and start practicing right away.
These bell kits have dramatically changed the dynamics of my percussion class (literally, they are much quieter than 10 snare drums all at once). My students will be some of the few percussionist moving on to middle school next year with a solid foundation in note reading. Many percussionists don't get this experience in the elementary setting where percussion instruments are often so limiting. Your donation has not only improved my schools band classes and performances, but it will be effecting these students all through middle school and high school because of the musical foundation they were able to get.
We will be having our final concert of the year next week. I will you that as an opportunity to get photos for you of the bell kits in action. I think you'll find those much more enjoyable than rehearsal photos.
Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
Let's Build A Band Program! Trumpets!
Funded Sep 10, 2013Since receiving our two new trumpets, the entire band has gained a new sense of enthusiasm and joy for creating music. Two instruments may not seem like much to many band programs out there, but in a school like mine, it makes a huge difference. The bands' numbers have been boosted not only by two, but by a few others who have been inspired by our two new trumpet players to rent their own horns and join. Students outside of band are now becoming interested in joining seeing that it is possible for us to gain new instruments through Donorschoose and other similar outfits.
One of the trumpets went to a 6th grader who has played for two years and has loved playing since 4th grade. Early in the school year her parents were forced to sell her trumpet to help put food on the table, my school did not have another horn to offer her. Needless to say she was crushed, her grades began slipping in her homeroom class and she had very little motivation to even come to school. The look on her face when presented with a brand new horn a month later was a look that I will never forget. As a fairly new teacher it became clear why I teach, to make a difference for someone.
I was lucky enough to be the one to hand her the trumpet, but I know, and she knows, that I wasn't the one that made that difference for her, you were.
With my deepest gratitude, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 5 other donors.Building the Orff Experience: Part 4
Funded Apr 18, 2013You have made a huge difference in my class room! Thank you so much for your donation of this xylophone. The kids come in every day excited for music to play and sing along with our new instrument. I did not get to experience this excitement at the beginning of the year because of the lack of instruments we had. The kids at my school have been using the same broken, non-pitched instruments for several years and have not gotten the chance to expand their musical knowledge and talents because of a financial barrier that all our schools are facing right now. I know instruments can be quite expensive, so it is with my deepest sincerity that I thank you for your donation.
I would like to take a moment to tell you just how this instrument has changed the dynamics of our classroom learning. My first grade students are learning proper mallet technique, which is a skill they will use throughout their schooling, even through high school, if they choose to participate in band. We use these mallet instruments to teach the musical alphabet and pitch directions. They particularly like our story about Little Susie climbing a tree, falling down, and climbing back up again all with the accompaniment of the xylophone climbing up and down a scale.
In second grade we have been working on reading non-standard musical notation, both with our old non-pitch instruments and our brand new xylophone! The students love that we can create new melodies using the xylophone that we never could before with just hand drums and finger cymbals. Their favorite song so far is a musical rendition of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". After singing the song, students play rhythms and melodies on the xylophone based on plastic Easter Eggs which they have arranged on the floor to portray quarter notes and eighth notes. Not only do they get to play music, the are actually the ones creating the music!
I believe this xylophone has been the most beneficial for my third grade students. In the past we've been trying our hardest to learn musical notation with Boom Whackers. If you don't know what Boom Whackers are, they are long plastic tubes, that when struck against their open palm, floor, or any other surface, resonate a specific pitch. The problem we've been facing is that each student could only play two notes at once. Now, with this xylophone, a student can see the entire musical alphabet laid out in from of them and play all the way up and down themselves. This has allowed each of my students to grasp many musical concepts such as scales, melody shape, phrasing, and of course probably most important in my opinion musical literacy. Many of my third graders are now reading standard notation as efficiently as my 6th grade band students!
The difference you made in my classroom will not stay confined to my classroom walls. My students exit the classroom with a higher understanding of music that goes with them where ever they go. Because of your donation, our school band and orchestra classes will reach higher levels. Students who go on to instrumental ensembles and choir will in middle school and high school with have a much stronger foundation in music which will lead them to much more success than they could have imagined. Thank you for not only making a difference in my students, but in the lives of all our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
Building the Orff Experience: Glockenspiels!
Funded Dec 18, 2012You have made a huge difference in my class room! Thank you so much for your donation of these glockenspiels. The kids come in every day excited for music to play and sing along with our new instruments. I did not get to experience this excitement at the beginning of the year because of the lack of instruments we had. The kids at my school have been using the same broken, non-pitched instruments for several years and have not gotten the chance to expand their musical knowledge and talents because of a financial barrier that all our schools are facing right now. I know instruments can be quite expensive, so it is with my deepest sincerity that I thank you for your donation.
I would like to take a moment to tell you just how these instruments have changed the dynamics of our classroom learning. My first grade students are learning proper mallet technique, which is a skill they will use throughout their schooling, even through high school, if they choose to participate in band. We use these mallet instruments to teach the musical alphabet and pitch directions. They particularly like our story about Little Susie climbing a tree, falling down, and climbing back up again all with the accompaniment of the glockenspiel climbing up and down a scale.
In second grade we have been working on reading non-standard musical notation, both with our old non-pitch instruments and our brand new glockenspiels! The students love that we can create new melodies using the glockenspiel that we never could before with just hand drums and finger cymbals. Their favorite song so far is a musical rendition of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". After singing the song, students play rhythms and melodies on the glockenspiels based on plastic Easter Eggs which they have arranged on the floor to portray quarter notes and eighth notes. Not only do they get to play music, the are actually the ones creating the music!
I believe these glockenspiels have been the most beneficial for my third grade students. In the past we've been trying our hardest to learn musical notation with Boom Whackers. If you don't know what Boom Whackers are, they are long plastic tubes, that when struck against their open palm, floor, or any other surface, resonate a specific pitch. The problem we've been facing is that each student could only play two notes at once. Now, with our glockenspiels, a student can see the entire musical alphabet laid out in from of them and play all the way up and down themselves. This has allowed each of my students to grasp many musical concepts such as scales, melody shape, phrasing, and of course probably most important in my opinion musical literacy. Many of my third graders are now reading standard notation as efficiently as my 6th grade band students!
The difference you made in my classroom will not stay confined to my classroom walls. My students exit the classroom with a higher understanding of music that goes with them where ever they go. Because of your donation, our school band and orchestra classes will reach higher levels. Students who go on to instrumental ensembles and choir will in middle school and high school with have a much stronger foundation in music which will lead them to much more success than they could have imagined. Thank you for not only making a difference in my students, but in the lives of all our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by Arizona Community Foundation and 3 other donors.Building the Orff Experience: The Sopranos
Funded Dec 12, 2012You have made a huge difference in my class room! Thank you so much for your donation of this metalophone. The kids come in every day excited for music to play and sing along with our new instruments. I did not get to experience this excitement at the beginning of the year because of the lack of instruments we had. The kids at my school have been using the same broken, non-pitched instruments for several years and have not gotten the chance to expand their musical knowledge and talents because of a financial barrier that all our schools are facing right now. I know instruments can be quite expensive, so it is with my deepest sincerity that I thank you for your donation.
I would like to take a moment to tell you just how these instruments have changed the dynamics of our classroom learning. My first grade students are learning proper mallet technique, which is a skill they will use throughout their schooling, even through high school, if they choose to participate in band. We use these mallet instruments to teach the musical alphabet and pitch directions. They particularly like our story about Little Susie climbing a tree, falling down, and climbing back up again all with the accompaniment of the metalophone climbing up and down a scale.
In second grade we have been working on reading non-standard musical notation, both with our old non-pitch instruments and our brand new metalophone! The students love that we can create new melodies using the metalophone that we never could before with just hand drums and finger cymbals. Their favorite song so far is a musical rendition of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". After singing the song, students play rhythms and melodies on the metalophone based on plastic Easter Eggs which they have arranged on the floor to portray quarter notes and eighth notes. Not only do they get to play music, the are actually the ones creating the music!
I believe this metalophone has been the most beneficial for my third grade students. In the past we've been trying our hardest to learn musical notation with Boom Whackers. If you don't know what Boom Whackers are, they are long plastic tubes, that when struck against their open palm, floor, or any other surface, resonate a specific pitch. The problem we've been facing is that each student could only play two notes at once. Now, with this metalophone, a student can see the entire musical alphabet laid out in from of them and play all the way up and down themselves. This has allowed each of my students to grasp many musical concepts such as scales, melody shape, phrasing, and of course probably most important in my opinion musical literacy. Many of my third graders are now reading standard notation as efficiently as my 6th grade band students!
The difference you made in my classroom will not stay confined to my classroom walls. My students exit the classroom with a higher understanding of music that goes with them where ever they go. Because of your donation, our school band and orchestra classes will reach higher levels. Students who go on to instrumental ensembles and choir will in middle school and high school with have a much stronger foundation in music which will lead them to much more success than they could have imagined. Thank you for not only making a difference in my students, but in the lives of all our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by Arizona Community Foundation and 6 other donors.Give The Orff Experience!
Funded Sep 28, 2012You have made a huge difference in my classroom! Thank you so much for your donation of this metallophone. The kids come in every day excited for music to play and sing along with our new instruments. I did not get to experience this excitement at the beginning of the year because of the lack of instruments we had. The kids at my school have been using the same broken, non-pitched instruments for several years and have not gotten the chance to expand their musical knowledge and talents because of a financial barrier that all our schools are facing right now. I know instruments can be quite expensive, so it is with my deepest sincerity that I thank you for your donation.
I would like to take a moment to tell you just how these instruments have changed the dynamics of our classroom learning. My first grade students are learning proper mallet technique, which is a skill they will use throughout their schooling, even through high school, if they choose to participate in band. We use these mallet instruments to teach the musical alphabet and pitch directions. They particularly like our story about Little Susie climbing a tree, falling down, and climbing back up again all with the accompaniment of the metallophone climbing up and down a scale.
In second grade we have been working on reading non-standard musical notation, both with our old non-pitch instruments and our brand new metallophone's! The students love that we can create new melodies using the metallophone that we never could before with just hand drums and finger cymbals. Their favorite song so far is a musical rendition of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". After singing the song, students play rhythms and melodies on the metallophone based on plastic Easter Eggs which they have arranged on the floor to portray quarter notes and eighth notes. Not only do they get to play music, the are actually the ones creating the music!
I believe this metallophone has been the most beneficial for my third grade students. In the past we've been trying our hardest to learn musical notation with Boom Whackers. If you don't know what Boom Whackers are, they are long plastic tubes, that when struck against their open palm, floor, or any other surface, resonate a specific pitch. The problem we've been facing is that each student could only play two notes at once. Now, with this metallophone, a student can see the entire musical alphabet laid out in from of them and play all the way up and down themselves. This has allowed each of my students to grasp many musical concepts such as scales, melody shape, phrasing, and of course probably most important in my opinion musical literacy. Many of my third graders are now reading standard notation as efficiently as my 6th grade band students!
The difference you made in my classroom will not stay confined to my classroom walls. My students exit the classroom with a higher understanding of music that goes with them where ever they go. Because of your donation, our school band and orchestra classes will reach higher levels. Students who go on to instrumental ensembles and choir will in middle school and high school with have a much stronger foundation in music which will lead them to much more success than they could have imagined. Thank you for not only making a difference in my students, but in the lives of all our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 8 other donors.Building the Orff Experience!
Funded Sep 24, 2012You have made a huge difference in my class room! Thank you so much for your donation of this xylophone. The kids come in every day excited for music to play and sing along with our new instruments. I did not get to experience this excitement at the beginning of the year because of the lack of instruments we had. The kids at my school have been using the same broken, non-pitched instruments for several years and have not gotten the chance to expand their musical knowledge and talents because of a financial barrier that all our schools are facing right now. I know instruments can be quite expensive, so it is with my deepest sincerity that I thank you for your donation.
I would like to take a moment to tell you just how these instruments have changed the dynamics of our classroom learning. My first grade students are learning proper mallet technique, which is a skill they will use throughout their schooling, even through high school, if they choose to participate in band. We use these mallet instruments to teach the musical alphabet and pitch directions. They particularly like our story about Little Susie climbing a tree, falling down, and climbing back up again all with the accompaniment of the xylophone climbing up and down a scale.
In second grade we have been working on reading non-standard musical notation, both with our old non-pitch instruments and our brand new xylophones! The students love that we can create new melodies using the xylophone that we never could before with just hand drums and finger cymbals. Their favorite song so far is a musical rendition of the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". After singing the song, students play rhythms and melodies on the xylophone based on plastic Easter Eggs which they have arranged on the floor to portray quarter notes and eighth notes. Not only do they get to play music, the are actually the ones creating the music!
I believe this xylophone has been the most beneficial for my third grade students. In the past we've been trying our hardest to learn musical notation with Boom Whackers. If you don't know what Boom Whackers are, they are long plastic tubes, that when struck against their open palm, floor, or any other surface, resonate a specific pitch. The problem we've been facing is that each student could only play two notes at once. Now, with this xylophone, a student can see the entire musical alphabet laid out in from of them and play all the way up and down themselves. This has allowed each of my students to grasp many musical concepts such as scales, melody shape, phrasing, and of course probably most important in my opinion musical literacy. Many of my third graders are now reading standard notation as efficiently as my 6th grade band students!
The difference you made in my classroom will not stay confined to my classroom walls. My students exit the classroom with a higher understanding of music that goes with them where ever they go. Because of your donation, our school band and orchestra classes will reach higher levels. Students who go on to instrumental ensembles and choir will in middle school and high school with have a much stronger foundation in music which will lead them to much more success than they could have imagined. Thank you for not only making a difference in my students, but in the lives of all our students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Jacques
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and one other donor.