Help me give my students woodwinds and rhythm section instruments they can play as early as third grade and on up through high school.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Johnson's classroom raised $4,908
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
My students are incredibly musical. They express themselves and communicate with each other through music. They serve our community by sharing their music. They embody the character skills our school teaches: craftsmanship, curiosity, responsibility, and perseverance.
My wonderfully creative students need more band instruments so they can each play an instrument of their choice.
As our music program grows, we want to make sure every student has an instrument to borrow, free of charge, to play at home and at school. Many of my students can't afford to buy their own instruments. Still, they show determination in the face of challenges associated with low-income urban neighborhoods. Music lights up their lives and our community.
My Project
My school was a 6th-12th grade school, and then we added elementary grades. The school is growing by one elementary grade level each year, and we need more instruments so that every student has an opportunity to play an instrument in a band class. Currently all of our Pre-K through 4th grade and 6th through 7th grade students have a general music or band class, and 8th through 12th grade students can elect to play in a band. This is our first year with 4th grade, and next school year we will add 5th grade. The current 4th graders started playing traditional and modern band instruments like flute, clarinet, guitar and mallet percussion in 3rd grade, and they are still playing those instruments. Now, the current 3rd graders are ready for traditional and modern band instruments, and we don't have enough. All music students get to take their instruments between home and school and borrow instruments over the summer. All of that practice time means they quickly become fluent in the language of music.
More instruments will mean more students reaching high-level musical goals and sharing their beautiful music with our community.
All students should have access to an excellent music education regardless of their economic situation. My students learn to read, improvise and compose music in a variety of styles and get to collaborate with great student and professional musicians in world-class programs at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Manhattan School of Music and Carnegie Hall. This would not be possible if my school were not able to provide instruments for students to borrow.
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
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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. Johnson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
