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.
I'm the K-5 music teacher for our Nevada school in which 60% of the students get free- or reduced-price lunch.
Getting these new unpitched percussion instruments will give students a chance to create unique "B" sections to a piece of music. Think how well the castanets, slide whistle, chime tree and kokiriko will contrast to a melody played on recorder!
A favorite story of my little kids is "Napping House," by Audrey Wood. We could illustrate this story with sounds, such as using the rainstick for the rain; the slide whistle for the Grandma; the finger cymbals for the child; the piccolo cabasa for the dog;
the kokiriko for the cat; and so on.
The students will suggest the instrument for the character in this and other stories, playing it after their character is mentioned. A terrific cumulative sound effect is created!
My students are fascinated by any new timbre. In addition to playing the rhythm of the words in a piece of music, or illustrating a story with sounds, instruments provide a motivational tool.
I've said, for example, "Charlie, I like the way you've been behaving. Why don't you keep the steady beat for us on the conga?" Students also learn that misbehaving results in loss of their instrument.
It's the instruments that make music a special class. Here, they have a chance to play with things that they don't have in their regular classrooms or at home.
Now, they may be able to hear them in a recording, or see them in a live performance or video, and say, "Hey, we played that one in music class!"
Nearly all 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
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. O'Donnell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
