Celebrate Black Teachers and Students
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
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Mrs. Kimani from Dorchester MA is requesting musical instruments through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
Help me give my students quality musical instruments that sound great and motivate students to create their own music.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
The kids I teach love being part of our school community, and as a music teacher, I have the privilege of teaching every single child in our building. These 250 children range from K0 to 3rd grade students. Our students come from a high poverty urban neighborhood, and 100% of them receive free lunch. While many of our students have faced serious obstacles to healthy learning and development from a young age, these kids are resilient and show the potential to become great learners and musicians.
These kids could be the next generation of concert musicians, rock stars, and divas!
Their musical energy is palpable in the classroom, and their aptitude is equally high. I fill my music classes with action songs, singing games, and challenges that keep students excited about their musical accomplishments. Along with our school community, I maintain the highest standards for student performance, and my students grow more and more confident as they see that they are able to meet and even exceed these expectations. Music class serves as an opportunity for these kids to shine and feel empowered.
Since our music program started two years ago, students have been limited to the small percussion instruments donated by homeroom teachers who received them at teacher training workshops. The instruments are worn and their music making potential is nearly spent from two years of wear by 250 students. It is time to give our students quality instruments that will hold up to years of active music making. The instruments in this set are often referred to as Orff instruments because they were widely used by the musician and educator Carl Orff. The instruments were durable, flexible, and simple enough for even the youngest students to play.
Orff instruments are designed to make music accessible to every child, to accompany their singing, inspire their dancing, and make truly independent music making possible.
They are ideal for an elementary music classroom. With these instruments in our music class, students will be able to play simple accompaniments to songs they learn. They will be motivated to read and write music notation. Students will have tools for instrumental improvisation and composition. In short, students will be able to meet the music standards set out for them by our district ad state, and in so doing, become independent musicians.
The instrument set this project will fund spans a wide range of pitches and distinct tones. Low bass grounds the group as well as the children who play it, altos provide support for the children's natural singing range, sopranos often take melody, and glockenspiels ornament the ensemble with their ring. Xylophones bring a bright, cheery sound, metallophones ring out deeply, and glockenspiels sparkle in the high ranges. Let's pull together to obtain this quality collection of instruments so our students can will fill their school and community with music.
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