Musical Instruments for Eager Students in Brooklyn (1)

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.

Hello everyone! My name is Elli Weinert, and I am the proud new music teacher at Automotive High School in Brooklyn, NY. It is my job to create and implement a music curriculum- something that really hasn't existed in this school ever before until this year. Automotive High School is an ever-expanding and improving public technical/vocational school for students wanting to pursue careers in engineering, mechanics, and the like. Being mostly composed of boys of black and Hispanic races, this school is truly unique. Students come from every borough in New York City just to attend Automotive- some having to make a two hour commute by public transportation every morning. The staff and administration are amazing people who are incredibly and selflessly dedicated to giving students every opportunity to learn and be successful in life. One of the new music classes I would like to implement for this coming school year is band. As many of you know, band can be a fun, rewarding, and valuable asset to any school. Students not only have the chance to learn how to play a new instrument; they are given the opportunity to learn about world cultures, work in a team to meet a goal and create an artistic product, raise self-esteem, become more creative in their everyday thinking,make new friends, and gain recognition for their school through performances and contests. Band provides a kind of learning and structure from which students at Automotive High School can benefit greatly. Unfortunately, being in band costs a lot of money. Renting or buying musical instruments is expensive, and my students cannot afford to do this on their own. That is why I am doing this- I want to be able to purchase school instruments for students who cannot furnish their own. It's really as simple as that. I am trying to raise money to buy clarinets, flutes, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, etc. so that this music program can be successful. All good teachers know that their students are special. I would do anything to give mine the chance to create this school band and take Automotive High School to new creative heights. I am asking for your help in purchasing band instruments because no student should be left out of music because he or she cannot "afford" to participate. Thank you for your consideration and help!