Can't Fiddle Around Without A Fiddle

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

It is hard to be successful in an orchestra class if there are not enough instruments for each student. The majority of my students are from families of low socioeconomic status. These families find it hard to meet basic needs, so renting or purchasing an instrument is outside their grasp.

My school's population is mostly Hispanic, but we also serve Afro-Americans, whites, and students of other ethnic backgrounds.

A high percentage of our students are part of the free or reduced lunch program. For many of our students, the school's breakfast and lunch may be the only meals they receive during the day. Numerous students are caregivers to their younger siblings when they return home because their parents, (or more frequently, single parent) are working a second or third job. My school serves 6th through 8th grade, and our staff does all they can to help our students succeed with limited budgets. Despite our students' economic disadvantages, they have hopes and dreams of bettering themselves and their future lives.

My Project

My goal is for every student in my classroom to have an instrument in their hands everyday. Instruments are the most important resource in my orchestra classroom. I have a limited amount of instruments for my students to use. Many of these instruments are over 40 years old and are suffering from wear and tear. This year, in particular, I have a larger number of students than I have ever had, and I simply do not have enough instruments for every student. At this point, several of my students are having to share instruments. This means that some of my students do not get to participate 100%. They have to alternate days to take the instrument home to practice. Most importantly, there are not enough instruments for all the students to use on our upcoming concerts, when they should all be playing together.

I believe that my orchestra class provides a vehicle for social and economic mobility.

The opportunity to participate in the arts is life changing for many of my students. During the three years that my students are in my program, I have seen their achievement, attitudes, and aspirations sky rocket. Having a quality instrument in each child's hands is critical to instilling pride and making them feel like a true part of our orchestra family.