Electrify Our Orchestra to Engage More Students with Music
Help me give my students in our electric string ensemble a sound system that will rock the house!
$1,493 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
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 bring a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds into my classroom: in the city overall, 33% of residents were born in another country. At home, many speak a different language than English, with 10% of our student body enrolled in the ELL (English Language Learners) program. Having taught previously in other school districts, I am still amazed at the true diversity of our school. It is a real strength of ours.
We are also a school of mixed family income, with 58% of students enrolled in the free and reduced-price lunch program.
This financial need is very apparent in the strings program, as many financial barriers exist that can prevent students from participating. Thanks to the generosity of previous students and families, I have a collection of instruments that I lend to families who cannot afford one. The recipients of these instruments are some of my most eager participants, and they amaze me daily with their dedication and love of music!
My Project
I ask you to help me launch an Electric String Ensemble at our middle school. Electric instruments offer a natural bridge to rock, pop, hip-hop, and a multitude of contemporary musical styles that students understand and recognize from their own lives. In this ensemble, students will pick music they recognize and connect with, arrange it, and then perform it for their peers. Additionally, students will learn about acoustics, signal processing, and sound engineering in ways not possible with traditional instruments, putting the “A” back in STEAM education in a naturally engaging way.
I envision an inclusive orchestra program with expanded possibilities for students to connect their personal experiences to music making.
Countless studies have shown the benefit to students when they participate in school music programs. At our school, students are fortunate to have the opportunity to play an instrument in the orchestra, the band, or sing in chorus. For some, these classroom environments are welcoming and engaging. But for others, there is no connection between a student's individual musical interests and what the school music program offers. They look at an orchestra, they don't see themselves reflected in it, and choose to stop making music. This breaks my heart, and is a serious gap in our school music programs nationwide.
This campaign is our final push to launch an electric string ensemble at Nathan Hale! With this set of speakers, we'll be able to put on performances at our school and around the community with a huge electric string sound!
Thank you for your consideration, and I hope you will partner with me to make this valuable program.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Rescsanszky and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
