My students need metronomes, tuners, and basic instrument and office supplies to help them work together as a section to be organized and prepared for rehearsal.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Perez's classroom raised $374
This project is fully funded
My Students
"Ago?" "Ame!" ("Are you ready to learn?" "Yes, we are ready to learn!") My music students are familiar with this call and response which, borrowed from the folkloric traditions of West Africa loosely translates to "Listen!" and "I am listening." The students at my school are comfortable with multiple languages. Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu, Russian, Arabic, and Uzbeck make up the first languages of most of my students. Some are still learning English, but that doesn't stop them from having fun in the new music room!
It is no doubt their capacity to understand two or more languages attracts them to music.
A community of immigrants, the students have a wonderful opportunity to bring a bit of their musical culture to our school, sharing their unique experiences and learning to appreciate others' contributions. Our school is large, around thirteen hundred students, with seventy percent of them qualifying for free lunch. This year, our music department received the best gift music students could ever get - a music room! No longer will the music teachers have to push into the crowded classrooms bringing only as much as we can carry. Now students have a large space dedicated entirely to music!
My Project
My elementary band is typical in that it is divided into 6 sections- flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, low brass, and percussion. As an ensemble we focus on blending our individual voices first with our section and then creating one voice by having the sections work together. By working together we literally create harmony!
But one thing that my young students are still learning is that harmony can be made both on and off the bandstand.
It is natural for some competition to occur between students and that can be healthy. But instead of rivalry, I want my students to find compassion for those who are struggling and come together first as a section, then as a band and, ultimately, a family. By creating "section supply caddies," the students will be able to help help each other out by making sure that each student in the section is prepared for rehearsal with a sharpened pencil, a dry erase marker, and instrument specific supplies such as valve oil or cork grease. The students will take turns being the "section leader" and will be in charge of using the tuner to tune each player in the section before rehearsal. And then, when we break out into sectionals for small-group work, students can grab the caddy and transport the supplies to the work area.
Hopefully by giving the students the tools to help each other with basic music needs they will learn the greater lessons of compassion and tolerance.
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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