Do you love watching the Marching Band during halftime? Playing those instruments starts in 4th grade. Getting the instruments in their little hands is already a challenge, but the expense of reeds on clarinet and saxophone players often adds impassable roadblocks.
My students are energetic 4th graders who LOVE music.
They want to sing, dance and play instruments. If they could do all three at the same time, they would still look for more ways to create music. The school population is entirely 3rd and 4th grade. The ensembles offered are Band, Chorus and Strings, but only 4th graders are allowed in Band and Strings. Since Kindergarten, they have learned how to listen to music, and now they want to make their own. The financial struggles in some of their households make it almost impossible to play woodwind instruments because of the ongoing expense of reeds.
My Project
Clarinets and saxophones are instruments in band that require reeds. Reeds are delicate pieces of wood that fit on the mouthpiece and allow the vibration of air to make beautiful music. Students learn to take care of their reeds, but they do not last forever. Simply practicing can cause wear and tear; and one little nudge in the wrong direction and you have a nice little chip or crack, rendering the reed useless. Having an available supply will remove the financial tension from their practice. A broken reed means a trip to the store. If they cannot afford it, it means no more music. If there are reeds available, my students can practice without fear of wearing out the reed and having nothing to replace it. They could practice to their heart's content and create the music they dream of making.
The donations to this project will increase the quality of practice because it will reduce the stress of "not breaking the reed".
If they can practice without distraction, they can concentrate fully on creating beautiful music. Their lives will be changed for the better because they will know that people care about their music. Adult and professionals should worry about reeds, not children. They should just be allowed to make music.
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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 Ms. Valiante and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
