Past projects 10
Raising the Bar With New Barred Instruments
Funded Aug 13, 2019Thank you so much for your help getting these instruments in the hands of my special little learners! Being able to play a variety of Orff instruments is a valuable component of a well rounded music program. Thanks to you, I will be able to make sure my students all get this opportunity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.Musical Treats to Feel the Beat
Funded Feb 28, 2019Thank you so much for your contributions to my classroom. Thanks to your generosity, my students have been amazed by these new instruments. Many students' faces lit up when I described the origins of the West African percussion instruments. They immediately felt a connection to them. Everyone has been fascinated by the spoons and cowbell. They love the story behind everyday objects being used as musical instruments.
Now that all of my students have had the opportunity to test the instruments out and learn how they sound, they will be able to use them in their own classroom performances and original compositions.
In our music room, we frequently use percussion instruments to play along with folk songs and popular music. I love to have my students select their instruments based on their unique timbre. Now that we have so many options available to us, it's amazing to see my students' creativity come to life!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 5 other donors.Instruments for Young Maestros
Funded May 14, 2019Thank you so much for your contributions towards my classroom! Because of your generosity, we will be able to finally replace some old, broken instruments and add a few new ones to our collection. I can't wait to see the look on my students' faces when the new supplies arrive!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
This classroom project was brought to life by Craig Newmark Philanthropies and 8 other donors.New School Year, New Instruments!
Funded Dec 28, 2018Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom. Thanks to your help, we were able to purchase a new soprano xylophone and two new pairs of mallets for the music classroom. Having access to high quality musical instruments is such an important part of an elementary music classroom. Many of these children will not ever get the chance to play percussion instruments like this again, so the time they spend in the elementary music room is so crucial to their musical development.
Orff instruments such as the soprano xylophone allow my students to read and perform written notation as well as create and improvise new music. Their flexibility in setting up the bars in different formations allows every student to achieve success.
It is so delightful to hear students performing on the xylophones and metallophones that we have in our classroom, and the addition of this instrument has been a big help. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
Drumming Up Some Fun
Funded Sep 20, 2018Thank you so much for your contribution to our music room! Having these lollipop drums has motivated and inspired my students in ways I didn't even imagine. They love being able to play solos or together in an ensemble, and the drums have a great resonant sound when they are performed.
It is so delightful to see my students eager to create and improvise new rhythmic patterns when they get to play the drums. We have been working on call and response and syncopation, and these drums have made it so much more fun!
Thank you again for everything you have done for us.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
Organizational Tools for Young Musicians
Funded May 10, 2018Thank you so much for supporting my classroom! These organizational and writing supplies have already been a huge help to me and my students.
In the music room, children should be able to demonstrate their knowledge of music through creating and composing. Having the tools we need helps them along their journey to success. All of our supplies fit so nicely into these organizers and allow my students the freedom to create music without having to worry about the logistics.
This school year I'm planning to have my students do more work in collaborative groups, and we will be able to use these brightly colored organizers to keep all of their work on track. I can't wait to see what they create now!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 6 other donors.Click, Clack, Music Class
Funded Mar 27, 2018Words cannot express how happy I was when I heard about all of the great gifts classrooms would be receiving thanks to the Best School Day event. My students were elated when I showed them all of the new musical instruments that they would have access to thanks to your generosity.
I had some students help me unpack the instruments and they all gasped in awe when they saw the new supplies. Some of them asked, "Do we really get to use these?" and I was so glad to get to show them how to play the new instruments.
For this upcoming school year, I am going to incorporate more instrument playing into every single music class. Percussion instruments are such a great motivator for students and are an excellent way to make sure every child stays engaged in active music making. Thanks to your donation, this will be possible for every student in every class I teach.
Thank you so much for all that you have done to support my class and others across the country!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and one other donor.Strumming in the New Year with Ukuleles, Pt. 2
Funded Mar 12, 2018Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom! Thanks to you, we were able to get another ten ukuleles to add to our ukulele program. Every time a new student walks in my door, they eagerly ask when they are going to get to play them! My fifth graders are particularly excited to get to use the tuners to take responsibility in tuning the instruments themselves.
My fourth and fifth grade students are just starting with the basics now: this week we learned how to hold the instrument and strum properly using our thumbs or felt picks. Next week, we will apply our knowledge of note reading to finger pick simple melodies on the ukes. After that, we will begin harmony and chord building so that we can play many different songs!
The students are having a blast with the ukuleles and we could not have done it without your help. Thanks again for your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
Strumming in the New Year with Ukuleles
Funded Dec 28, 2017Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom! Thanks to you, we were able to get our first ten ukuleles to start a ukulele program. Every time a new student walks in my door, they eagerly ask when they are going to get to play them!
My fourth and fifth grade students are just starting with the basics now: this week we learned how to hold the instrument and strum properly using our thumbs or felt picks. Next week, we will apply our knowledge of note reading to finger pick simple melodies on the ukes. After that, we will begin harmony and chord building so that we can play many different songs!
The students are having a blast with the ukuleles and we could not have done it without your help. Thanks again for your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt
Xylophones for Music on a Cart
Funded Feb 8, 2016Thank you again for your generous donation to music on a cart at Hilltop! My students are loving the xylophones and the opportunities they provide for performance, composition, and improvisation! My students were amazed when they saw me take the xylos off my cart and unpack them in their classroom... for the first time, they felt like they were using real instruments in their class. Everyone was eager to take a turn and try them out.
On our first day, they learned to play a melodic ostinato on the xylophones and were able to accompany each other singing a song. It was such a delight to watch the students take turns playing their part. After one girl had taken her turn, she noticed that the next boy playing the ostinato was having trouble with the alternating hands, so she got up and sat across from him, guiding his hands to the correct bars on the instrument. It was such a beautiful moment of students helping each other learn to make music together.
Now that my students are becoming more comfortable playing the instrument, I can't wait to provide opportunities for creativity in the classroom. Since the month of April is Jazz Appreciation Month, we are going to be learning about improvisation and create pentatonic melodies on the xylos. My students will have such a great time with these instruments. They make a big difference in our music program!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Tanenblatt