Help me give my students quality clarinet and saxophone reeds for their band instruments!
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Sutton's classroom raised $774
This project is fully funded
My Project
One of my favorite parts of teaching band is starting beginning band students on their first instrument. I see my 6th grade band students three times per week, and by the middle of October, they've chosen which instrument they want to learn, and have a school instrument checked out to them.
Like the saying goes about making omelets, learning to play a woodwind instrument means you've got to break some reeds!
Each student tries to keep four reeds in good working order - no chips, cracks, or discoloration. It takes some practice, but even the most careful student will accidentally chip or break a reed while they're learning to play.
One of the continual costs involved with an instrumental band program is purchasing reeds. Clarinets and saxophones both use reeds made out of a plant called Arundo donax, commonly known as Giant Cane; it looks a bit like bamboo. This plant is harvested and cut into thin reeds that fit the mouthpiece of the instrument.
Reeds are very thin (so they vibrate), but that makes them fragile (so they break easily).
A young player typically goes through 5-6 reeds during their first year, because once a reed chips or splits, you have to toss it out and start over.
Having a good supply of reeds allows me to insure that all of my students have equal opportunity to learn and excel. Students that can afford a box of reeds buy their own, but many of my students can't afford the cost of replacing broken reeds.
More than half 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
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