My students are enthusiastic, talented, and dedicated. We live in an rural area of Idaho with a lot of potato farmers. Because of this my students know the value of hard work. This hard work shows in the rehearsals and their performances.
My students are also very involved.
In our smaller school my students often participate in multiple sports and other clubs. This has positive and negative repercussions. Our students receive a well-rounded education, being involved in sports, music, and other extracurricular activities alongside their regular studies. This also means that money is short. Students pay for jerseys, hoodies, cleats, concert attire, trips, and all sorts of other supplies. Many students hold jobs during the summer and harvest season just to pay for these activities.
Our choir is also made up of students of a wide variety of skill levels. This creates a particular challenge in programing music. I am always impressed with how students with less experience rise to the occasion and students with more experience serve as mentors and leaders to less experienced ones.
My Project
I am requesting a less expensive but quality African drum called a Djembe. An important part of Music Education is exposing students to different cultures. I would like to program this type of music more frequently but hesitate because we do not have a drum to accompany with. Donating to this project will help my students study and perform cultural music authentically.
Another important challenge that my students face is a wide range of skills.
Our choir includes students with years of musical experiences and those having their first experience in a formal music setting. I want to use the Djembe to differentiate instruction for different students. It will allow students with more experience to have increased challenge thereby increasing their learning and skill level.
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