Do you remember sitting in a music classroom and experiencing the joy of improvising and performing while using xylophones and handbells? It is a magical experience to children, one that many of my students have not yet experienced due to a limited number of instruments and large class sizes.
I am an elementary music teacher at 2 schools.
My students live in metropolitan Illinois and attend public schools. At one of the schools a majority of the students are Hispanic and many are bilingual in Spanish and English. The age range of this school is preschool to eighth grade. My other school is a Fine Arts magnet school, and is for students in grades K-8. I teach over 600 students at both schools.
In music classes students in younger grades participate in activities including movement, dancing, singing, and playing instruments. When students are older they are introduced to theoretical aspects of music including notereading and they begin to study music history, focusing on development of Jazz. Students learn to play keyboards, ukuleles, and guitars as well. All instruments have been obtained from Donors Choose contributors.
My Project
The materials I am requesting are 10 sets of resonator bells to be used during movement, singing, and listening activities with students in grades K-5. Resonator bells are similar to xylophones, except individual "notes" of the instrument can be removed and given to the student. This removes the possibility for error by the student, makes the student successful more quickly, and provides for a more musically pleasing sound.
Students will use these resonator bells to accompany the class when the class is singing. A select number of students will play an accompaniment part on the bells, and even more students will accompany the class on other instruments including percussion instruments. The resonator bell part will be selected based on the melody of the piece. For example, the bell part must support the chordal structure of the song it accompanies.
Your donation will provide my students with the opportunity to perform harmonic accompaniments on quality percussion instruments, the resonator bells.
Through this activity they will develop the ability to play a musical piece in tempo, and ideally sense chord changes as well. Thank you!
Nearly all 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
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