My students need a viola to balance the sound of the orchestra and provide more students an opportunity to learn an instrument.
$328 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.
At my school in an impoverished urban neighborhood, pleasant noises are hard to come by over the din of sirens, trucks, buses and heavy machinery. My students face great personal and financial obstacles, as 89% of our school population is labelled as economically disadvantaged. In spite of these challenging surroundings, our 500 Pre-K to 8th grade students participate in a vibrant learning community with a burgeoning instrumental music program.
Access to instrumental music gives my students a unique voice, a sense of harmony amidst the clatter and chaos.
In the last few years, enrollment in band and orchestra has grown from a handful to over 90 students in grades 4 through 8, with a waiting list of 10-20 students every year. Almost all of my students depend on the school to supply them with an instrument due to their family finances. Many of the instruments we currently use have come from donations and loans from colleagues and other community members.
My Project
The viola is similar to the violin in appearance, but it fills in the middle notes in the orchestra, lower than the violins and higher than the cellos. Our orchestra of 26 will have only three violas, making it difficult to achieve a balanced sound. String players in an ensemble always work in pairs of like instruments, and three violas leaves one student without a stand partner.
A new viola in our orchestra will do more than improve our sound today; it will touch the lives of the many students who will learn to play it in the years to come.
Having another instrument will provide access to music for more students who would otherwise not have the chance. It will also enhance our group work by ensuring every student has a partner in the ensemble. I have many students on a waiting list who would gladly put this viola to good use and work hard to make it sound its best!
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. Meyer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.