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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Bullen from Newark, NJ is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Bullen is requesting

African Drumming in the General Music Classroom

My students need a community building opportunity during the school day in which to make and share music that is focused on rhythm.

FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Bullen's classroom raised $510

This project is fully funded

My Students

I know that my students are expressing themselves in my classroom everyday through music. We use tins, garbage cans, soup cans and anything else that we find to make music! In our general instrumental music class, found objects are necessity and our students deserve better quality.

Our K-8 Elementary school serves a neighborhood community of families that survive at or below the poverty line according to New Jersey state and American standards.

Peer violence, bullying and hostility is an everyday stress for our students. With very little extra curricular opportunities, our kids have narrow outlets for expression and pressure release or relief. Few students engage in outside-of-school activities such as a recreational sports team or community classes. As the instrumental music teacher, I have taken to providing several after-school clubs and ensembles. Our children eat breakfast lunch and dinner at the school, making it compete with their actual house as the child's real home. As students in the middle grades do not choose their related arts specializations, a typical instrumental music class consists of 26-32 students in a small classroom without enough instruments for each students. We rotate, share, or improvise. Collective drumming will be a bright solution.

My Project

With this order, each class that enters music class will have their OWN instrument to play for the class. Each child will have the uninterrupted opportunity to solo or lead the group in a rhythm of their choosing. The order contains 2 floor toms to meet the diverse needs of our students, these instruments will rest on legs on the floor and children will use their hands to make deep vibrating drum sounds. Four students will have mid-ranged djembe drums that have adjustable straps and can move around with the student. Many students will have hand drums of varied sizes- to create a thick drum circle sound. There are also extra percussive materials to tailor the sound of the group to the mood of the piece. We have a few tone blocks, a guiro, claves and triangles to add to the mixture. My students are ready to embark on this musical exploration!

If students were able to get active and drum for even a portion of each class period, precious collective experience will be gained by the full class ensemble.

Students who normally would not speak much in class might be able to share rhythms. Experimentation will motivate students. Over-stimulated and under-appreciated inner city youth need positive self-esteem building and educational reinforcement. The core content standards for music contain the performance element! My students need to drum!

Ms. Bullen Ivy Hill Elementary School Grades 6-8

Celebrate Black teachers and kids! This project supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of students are Black.

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

Newark, NJ View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

650 students impacted 8donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Kid's Percussion Rain Forest Floor Tom • Woodwind & Brasswind $29.00 2 $58.00
Kid's Percussion Rain Forest Hand Drum Set • Woodwind & Brasswind $89.99 1 $89.99
Kid's Percussion Rain Forest Djembe • Woodwind & Brasswind $52.00 4 $208.00
ECB22 Hand Held Agogo Bell • Woodwind & Brasswind $21.00 1 $21.00
Ghana Rhythmkids Musical Ball • Woodwind & Brasswind $2.99 5 $14.95

Materials cost

$391.94

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.88

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$432.82

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$76.38

Total project goal

$509.20

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $509.20

7 Donors

-$509.20

Donations toward project cost

-$432.82

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$76.38

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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. Bullen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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