Many percussionists do not have an opportunity to practice their instruments at home like other band students do.
I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade flute, saxophone, and percussion classes during the day, along with percussion classes at the high school level before and after school.
There are many factors that come into play when creating the best learning environment for percussion students. Since percussion involves playing many many instruments, students face a challenge of purchasing sticks, mallets, and beaters to correctly play these instruments. As a trade off to this situation, most schools purchase the large instruments for student use within the school day.
Due to the extreme size of percussion instruments (i.e. timpani, marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, and drumsets), it is impossible for students to transport them home and practice fundamental aspects of playing, eliminating any possible practice time for students outside of school. This creates a disadvantage with percussion students versus students who rent/own their own smaller instruments (i.e. flutes, trumpets, and clarinets) and can easily transport them home.
I am requesting a generous donation to acquire percussion practice pads for student use, both in school and at home, to provide an opportunity to further their development outside of school just like all of the other students in our band. An opportunity to develop skills outside of school would lead to greater overall student achievement and a stronger sense of pride in the students. This project will immediately impact all of the percussionists in our district and would be used for many years in future.
Imagine if you went through school but couldn't do homework at home. How much would you have learned? Right now, percussionists do not have an opportunity to do homework at home because they do not have the resources available to them. Supporting this project will affect hundreds of students over the years and can uplift the overall educational experience of the students given this opportunity. I hope, through your generous gift, that all percussionists will have the same opportunity to learn and grow as other students in band.
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