Past projects 26
Strings Book 3!
Funded Jun 17, 2024We are almost done with book one and we are on track to start on book 2 in our string orchestra. My returning students were the ones who understand that getting book 2 means that we get to learn more and be able to read more difficult music. My goal is to get through book 3 next semester. There is still a lot that my students need to learn and both set of books will surely help.
Music has been ordered for next semester and we are set to start learning music for our holiday concert. We have about a month and a half to learn our music but i think we will do fine. This year we are 19 students and I am hopeful that the group will grow.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
Orchestra Books 2
Funded May 5, 2024Well, we are almost done with book one and we are on track to start on book 2 in our string orchestra. My returning students were the ones who understand that getting book 2 means that we get to learn more and be able to read more difficult music.
Music has been ordered for next semester and we are set to start learning music for our holiday concert. We have about a month and a half to learn our music but i think we will do fine. We will also be preparing for festival season. last year our small but mighty group of 10 students received a Superior rating along with Band. This year we are 19 and both groups should be growing by then.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
A Printer for Music Classes!
Funded Dec 29, 2023Things are running a lot smoother with the new printer. I can print out sheet music for my orchestra, Band, and piano students for them to have. A couple of students come to print out sheet music they have found and want to learn to play and know that it is possible again because of our new printer. Some come to print out their Homework when a printer is not available at home. Some come and make copies.
One of the biggest advantages of the new printer is knowing that the ink will not cost a lot. Ink is the main expense in having a printer. Ink was the biggest expense when we used to have the old printer and it would come to almost $500 a year. We do not have to worry about this and can even put more money into acquiring more sheet music and instrumental materials.
Things are looking up for this growing music program.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
Cart and Things!
Funded Sep 3, 2022Our suspended cymbal and crash cymbal finally have stands so that they can be played. The cymbals have been waiting in storage because we did not have the funds to get the mounts but they are finally being used. Band and orchestra used the cymbals, mounts, and the chair cart two weeks ago for our winter concert. The cart was very helpful moving our chairs from the classroom to the auditorium.
The students who get to school early were the first to see the materials being assembled. The suspended cymbal stand was the weirdest for them, they did not know what it was until the cymbal was hanging from it. Many students are happy that we are finally getting instruments needed for pieces we have played in the past and currently playing.
We just finished the first semester and next semester both orchestra and band will be playing new music. We are currently trying to acquire new drumline stands and hopefully have our groups grow.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by Spotify and 3 other donors.More Percussion!
Funded Sep 6, 2022The instruments will eventually be used for the upcoming spring play in collaboration with the theater class. In the mean time they are being used by the concert band and string orchestra to accompany their percussion parts.
The students that are always at school early, stay late or come into the room during lunch were the ones to try the new instruments out. Whenever there is a new percussion instruments, these students always enjoy figuring out how to play them.
I am currently arranging the music for the spring play and soon we will start to practice the music. These instruments will be used in the music. It will take time to learn the parts but I am confidant that the students will come through with their playing.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by Spotify and one other donor.Let Us See Our Teacher's Hands! (2)
Funded May 7, 2022After several months, the TVs are finally up and everyone in the class is able to see my hands. I have a camera to capture my hands while they demonstrate what to play on the piano. Students follow along with their books and look up when needed. The TVs display my hands on a piano, a virtual keyboard that lights up as I play and the notes on the staff as they are played in real time.
The most exiting part of the TVs is that they are big enough so that everyone in the class is able to see them. We used to use an older projector but these are brighter and higher up in the wall so that all can see. My student know that we will be able to watch music related videos as well and that video and audio quality will be great!
Surprisingly my former students are the ones who have warmed up to the tech when they come early in the morning to practice and are able to see the improvements.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 7 other donors.Practice pads for my drummers
Funded Apr 7, 2022The cymbal bags came right on time, right before the classroom was to be cleaned. It was such a relief that our new cymbals were going to be protected while things were going to be moved around and not accidentally tipped over or even broken. Some students helped and we decided to keep our cymbals in the bags until we really need to use the drum sets to keep the cymbals looking batter and safe.
The practice tenor pad and the stands have been gotten a lot of use. We have a couple of returning students and a lot of new students. A practice pads sure do help when many students are playing at the same time. My more advance students practice early before school, at lunch, and at times after school. My students are so grateful to have something (tenor pad) that they can easily carry around and practice indoors and outdoors. This pad sure does get used a lot. The stands are perfect for practice pads we just acquired. Students can use them at a proper height.
I am going to ask for another tenor practice pad and some other equipment in the future. We are also looking into getting more members and growing the program after covid.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 4 other donors.Upgraded Mouthpieces for Brass!
Funded Jan 18, 2022The last of the mouthpieces finally arrived. A few of my trumpet players need a bigger mouthpiece to get a better sound and now more students are going to be able to have the equipment that they need. I finally was able to replace those old cheap and at times rusted mouthpieces.
One of my students was happy to get a new mouthpiece when he saw me open the box one morning. Little did he knew that one of these was going to be his. He was so excited when he came back in the class knowing that he was going to get one. Sadly this student is a senior but at least he will have a couple of months with the mouthpiece.
It is never ending trying to update our equipment with the program not having the funding it needs but little by little things are changing. I am currently trying to update our current advanced band instruments and hope to be able to do that in the next year or so.
Thanks to donors like you, this program will grow again and with the correct equipment needed.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by Panda Cares and 2 other donors.Upgraded Equipment for Our Band Program
Funded Dec 31, 2021Our instrumental music program does not get much funding if at all. like I stated in my project, most of the mouthpieces we do have, I bought myself when I first started at this school almost 7 years ago with my personal money. I knew we needed to upgrade our mouthpieces eventually but with so much of our equipment needing upgrading I had yet to get to mouthpieces until now.
The students were so happy to see that we were getting new woodwind mouthpieces and they no longer would have to use the deteriorating ones they were using. We use mouthpiece cushions to keep our mouthpieces working longer and help with embouchure.
We are upgrading many of our smaller equipment we have like mouthpieces and drum pads. We are also rebuilding our program little by little after it shrunk because of covid but with generous people like you we will be better prepared to welcome new members with better equipment.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
A Complete Keyboard Lab for Our Students
Funded Nov 10, 2021The keyboards arrived and we have started using them as soon as I was able to build them. Thanks to the additional keyboards, I have been able to add students to our classes. I have even brought in additional periods into the piano class because of covid restrictions that we have for our beginning band classes. This lab has given my student a bit of stability in a class in learning piano.
The majority of the students, maybe all except one, had never seen the boxes where the keyboards were shipped in until the new ones had arrived. The students who were most excited were the new students who were able to add into the class this second semester. Many of my new keyboard student happen to be seniors and from my band program.
This newer keyboard class has been a work in progress ever since it opened almost two years ago. The first set of classes did not get to finish due to covid and the second class was all virtual. This year's set of classes will be the first to take advantage of the keyboard class for the entire school year if all goes well. I have two projects currently to add TV monitors to the class so that my classes can see my instruction better no matter where they may be sitting at.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Sanchez
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.