My third and fourth grade students are studying American popular music. Students are excited to develop musical knowledge in the context of the real-world music they hear (and sing!) every day, and in this way, to think more deeply about the world around them. As part of their regular classroom learning, students were learning to play drums, keyboard, and ukulele. In February, students performed in their very first Battle of the Bands, a school concert that we hope will become an annual tradition.
Now our school community has transitioned to remote learning.
Before schools closed, our students had begun to take ownership over their individual roles as contributing members of a band—but now many students don’t have access to the instruments they need to continue their musical learning and development. My young musicians are working hard to stay engaged and continue making music. They are creating music in digital platforms and attending virtual music classes. But without instruments, it’s just not the same.
My Project
Our third grade curriculum introduces students to modern band instruments (with a focus on keyboard, drum set, and ukulele), and students develop foundational skills on the different instruments that we explore together. Many of my fourth graders – now in their second year of modern band class – have begun to specialize. They have discovered the instruments or the roles that they love to play, and they have taken ownership of their own parts; we have a section of proud keyboard players, a team of dedicated vocalists, a group of committed drummers, and so forth. I have loved watching them build musical identities as contributing members of a band. My students take pride in their parts, and they recognize the value of their individual contributions to the whole. I have watched my students work hard to master new music, work together to solve musical problems, and coach each other through pre-performance nerves as their first concert approached.
With your help, we can send instruments to my modern band students so that their musical learning can continue at home.
This project will fund one instrument for one student (because all projects ship to a single address, and these instruments will ship to students at their homes). Please look out for other projects in the same series, each of which will provide one instrument (and related equipment) for one student.
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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