My classroom is large. It covers the high school band room, the middle school band rooms and 8 elementary band rooms. I am thrilled to see kids playing again after several years of music being cut. What hurts is to see that many children who want to play must sit and wait for an instrument.
Our community is a very diverse community and that is reflected in our schools.
We have 475 students who want to play in our band. After families rent and the high school gave up it's instruments we are still short 100 instruments. These instruments are for the most fiscally challenged but their socioeconomic situation should not stop them from having music in their lives and as a part of their education. Music has always been vital in our town. We have a long history of it is our schools and our very significant Latino community has added a richness to our town and our school complete with their own culturally relevant music. Sadly it is often these children I see sitting , waiting for an instrument.
No child should have to wait to have music in their lives. I need to see classrooms filled with joyful students making joyful music. The high school generosity to send instruments to our feeder schools has now left us at middle schools without enough instruments for kids.
My Project
"Music is the Universal Language of Mankind" (Longfellow)
The instruments I m requesting including four trumpets, an alto sax, two slide trombones, two flutes and a bell kit will help students to love and respect music and to love and respect it's power to change. It will build an ensemble in a classroom that breaks down all language barriers while at the same time embracing new cultures to celebrate though music. Music will help them as students in other classrooms and as members of the larger community in which they live. They will find themselves getting dressed to play proudly at concerts, march in parades and perform for our senior citizen lunches. They will learn what the can take from music but they will also learn the power to give when they share their music with other.
Most importantly since these instruments will go to our most needy, they will learn that music is for them as well as for those who can afford!
Music is something that brings people together even if they differ on everything else.
We bring many different students together in a school of over 2000 students. Every child needs a place to feel valued and succeed. For many of our students, rich or poor, playing music is that safe place to shine. They cannot shine without an instrument and it breaks my heart to say no. Please help.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. W. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.