My students need five Rogue RA-100D Dreadnought Acoustic Guitars.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Pohl's classroom raised $519
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
If you visit my classroom you'll see several students practicing and trading "riffs" on their guitars. Though guitars are more challenging for beginners than piano, many students choose their magic and allure. But many of our guitars are aging or broken, and the demand is outstripping the supply.
I love our students.
They are black and Hispanic, mostly from poor families, with the enthusiasm and energy of all teens. Their rich cultural backgrounds make them open to many styles of music. Our music program has grown from one recorder class seven years ago to a full program. We now have twenty keyboards, various percussion instruments, thirty guitars through “Little Kids Rock.” and ten through Donors Choose. The Bronx Arts Ensemble also funds visits by three artists: a percussionist, vocalist and guitar teacher. We have had successful concerts twice a year with an emphasis on Afro-Caribbean music as well as Rhythm and Blues, Hiphop and Gospel (Chorus meets after school.) Last June's concert included "Lady Marmalade" from "Moulin Rouge", "At Last" (Etta James) "I Feel Good" (James Brown, "Rolling in the Deep" and 15 other songs or dances. They're a boisterous culmination of lots work by our students, and lots of support from their fellow students and teachers.
My Project
As our program has grown, students flock to the music room during lunch and after school to play their guitars.
At our last concert, seven of the songs required guitars, including the 70's hit "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band. To help them prepare for these shows and progress as musicians, as much as possible we allow students to borrow guitars to take home. The guitars are returned at the end of the school year. Last year however, we were several guitars short. In addition, the inevitable wear and tear of these instruments has depleted our functioning inventory by about 10 guitars. To make up some of this shortfall, I'm requesting that you help us buy five new Rogue Dreadnought guitars. This brand is rugged, has served us well so far, and is a step up from the cheapest beginner models available from the Donors Choose vendor.
Every student deserves a musical education.
I hope you'll agree that the joy of musical creativity is as important as any other academic subject. The problem-solving skills students develop while practicing and creating music transfer to other subjects and to their lives. In my program, an adequate supply of guitars is a crucial part of that process! Please help us to keep our wonderful music program going!!! Thanks a million.
More than three‑quarters of 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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Pohl and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
