Have you ever been in a band room where there are 25 students all playing different instruments at one time? What if you could have two groups of students simultaneously doing work at one time while not disturbing the other?
My middle school band students are very enthusiastic and truly enjoy learning how to play music on their instruments.
Many of them come down during their lunch time to practice by themselves or in small groups. They have worked very hard to create the band family atmosphere. One third of the school is in the music department and that number is growing every year. I would like to continue encouraging their musical growth and be able to work with students as much as possible in small group situations.
My Project
I am asking for silent brass systems for my brass players so that they can continue to practice and improve their skills at the same time that I am working with other students in the classroom. I currently have band divided into 3 sections. They are not divided by grade or instrument so I work with all students at one time. I try to have sectionals where the brass play while the woodwinds do music theory, and vice versa, however this doesn't allow them to keep building their physical skills on the instrument. By having silent brass, students would be able to continue their skills while I am working with the woodwinds or percussion. We also have many students who come down during their lunch period to practice and by using the silent brass, they could do this without disturbing the other music classes happening at that time. The ability for them to plug in their MP3 player and play along with other music is also very important for their creativity and growth.
Students want to play their instruments and are very sad when they are not.
By implementing the silent brass into my classroom I can keep everyone playing their instrument and teach them independent practice techniques. They will be more motivated to play and will not be distracted by other noises in and around the music rooms.
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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. Haderthauer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
