My students need to learn about stringed instruments! For this project, we have two sizes of violins (so that students with varying arm lengths may play them), two ukuleles, and four music stands for a concert.
I teach at both Title I elementary schools in our county, allowing me to make music with approximately 730 students, ranging from PreK-5th grade. We are proud to live in a "small town", closely-knit rural community. One of the drawbacks of living in such a rural area, however, is the lack of businesses and funding. The closest fine arts theatre is 60 miles away, and for some of our students whose families don't own a car, 60 miles may as well be 1,000.
The 700 students in our high poverty elementary schools deserve a chance to not only hear and learn about music, but to fully immerse themselves in it.
This project will provide an opportunity for these students, and students in years to come, to have a hands-on opportunity to read and play music.
My Project
Playing a musical instrument simultaneously engages almost every part of the brain. There is no doubt among music educators and researchers of cognitive development that being a musician is beneficial to academic learning. Playing a musical instrument also strongly influences human emotions, evoking empathy. In our rural area, we strive to not only teach our children the standards of learning, but also the standards of kindness. We want to teach the whole child.
Having an experience to play stringed instruments allows them a whole new cultural experience, connect on a totally different level, and hopefully examine the world through a different lens.
In this project, I am requesting two violins, two ukuleles, and four music stands to begin a small stringed instrument collection.
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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 Mrs. Word and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
