Our students live in rural upstate NY, on the border of MA and CT. They are diverse in terms of interests and experiences, but universally wonderful and curious. At over 60% low-income families, our school population is shrinking while the poverty level is rising.
Our students love music!
Our music program has been subject to staffing and program cuts over the last few years, due to a shrinking population and financial challenges, but we’re bouncing back and looking to expand opportunities and experiences for our students!
My Project
Wiki-wiki-wiki... No, not Wikipedia! It’s the sound you hear when a scratch DJ is working the turntables. Turntablists (yes, that is a thing) are musicians who make music using a record player, moving vinyl records back and forth on a turntable to make rhythmic sounds in time. It sounds simple, but this complex craft is honed over many hours of dedicated practice.
The magic of this iconic sound is that it captures your imagination and seems so easy until you get your hands on it, and most people never do.
I would like to bring the experience and art of turntablism to my students by acquiring a class set of portable turntables. Modern technology has made scratch turntables that are portable and affordable. The Numark PT01 Scratch turntables can be used without any other equipment, so they’re perfect for getting started. While I hope to eventually gear up with heavier duty equipment that older students can use to further develop their turntablism skills, these smaller units are right up to scratch for our students to learn on because they’re small, personal, inexpensive and will give students the flexibility to learn and practice in various situations. Plus, I saw a video of a program in England where whole classes learn to scratch, with each child having their own turntable to use. That was exciting to see and I revised my vision for the program upward!
When we have enough, the Numark PT01 Scratch portable turntables will also become part of our music equipment library. Students will be able to check them out to use at home where they can scratch away the hours in dedicated practice. The students who I’ve talked to about this are already excited about the idea. Help us make it a reality!
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