Zimbabwean Marimba Ensemble: Bringing the World Closer to Home
Help me give my students the ongoing experience of embracing diversity through music-making by adding the bass marimba to our set of Zimbabwean marimba ensemble instruments.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Le's classroom raised $3,248
This project is fully funded
My Students
My elementary music students are inquisitive learners who seek to become informed citizens of the world by learning about the culture and traditions of people around the world. They are enthusiastic, reflective, and persistent, using the knowledge and performance of music as a means of connecting with others.
Immersing our students in multicultural experiences is a deep-seeded value of our school community.
I allow students to discover, by modeling and with direct instruction, with subtlety and with obvious direction, through their experiences and reflection, the beauty found in other cultures. Because music plays a central role in traditions around the world, my students can become the people of that culture through the study and performance of traditional music, played on authentic instruments, sung in their language, danced with their flair.
My Project
I am writing this grant with the goal of continuing a mission of my educational career shaped by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Three weeks into my teaching career, I learned of the premeditated devastation the terrorists intended upon the American people. I was horrified that such hatred could exist. To compound the problem, the instinctive reaction of some was to hate back and unfairly judge a certain segment of the American population whose ethnicity was similar to that of the terrorists. These observations helped clarify my primary mission as a teacher: the best combatant to more hate in our world is to allow our youth to discover the beauty, not the divide, found in our differences.
I believe that multiculturalism is a way of being, not an event or unit of study.
As a part of becoming deeply immersed in the music and traditions of other cultures, I have established a World Music Drumming ensemble and a Zimbabwean marimba ensemble as in-depth experiences for students to help accomplish this mission. All of my 406 music students, ranging from 1st grade - 5th grade, have the opportunity to learn to play these instruments. The Zimbabwean marimba ensemble still has room to grow with the purchase of instruments. The funds for this project will fund a bass marimba, which is the largest and most expensive of the different sizes of instruments needed for this ensemble. One of our primary culminating goals is to perform throughout our community in order to bring this music and experience to audiences and continue the cycle of exposure and appreciation of other cultures.
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. Le and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
