Past projects 9
Pouches for Practice
Funded Jul 20, 2024I am so grateful for your gift to my Orchestra classroom. The pouches on each chair have allowed us to maximize our instruction in class--as the supplies, music, and theory activities can already be right at their seats!
It truly "takes a village" to provide equity to children who already start their lives with less opportunities and resources. Your gift has helped us organize and have more time to work on becoming excellent musicians.
Please accept my sincerest thanks for your kindness to our Orchestra classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
Violins in Style!
Funded Oct 11, 2023It is impossible to put into words the immense affect your generous gift has had on my Orchestra children. The shoulder rests repair kits have allowed me to fix 25 shoulder rests to be used by my students. It is incredible for them to be able to use these "professional" rests that fit correctly on the small instruments.
I appreciate that you saw a need and gave. Your kindness has truly touched my heart. Through your gift, a small degree of "equity" has been provided to underprivileged musicians on our campus.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community & an Anonymous Partner and one other donor.New Violins for Musicians
Funded Feb 8, 2023I have a third grader playing a really old instrument. She never has complained once about the crack that is visible on the front of the violin or about the scrapes on the sides from years of use. She practices every day and even takes it to recess to do extra work. When the new instruments arrived, she was speechless.
Your gift has touched her life. She wasn't expecting or begging for a new instrument, yet, she was aware that hers was very old and wasn't new and shiny like many of her peers. Thank you for giving and making it possible to exit some of the older instruments from my classroom inventory.
It isn't possible to measure the impact music will have on these young lives. It goes so much deeper than just developing discipline, a sense of purpose, commitment to a team, or self-awareness. We will never know the depth our choices reach, however, I know that your gift has made a tremendous difference. Thank you for giving.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
This classroom project was brought to life by Black History Month Partners and one other donor.Back to 🎻Orchestra🎻Basics
Funded Aug 9, 2022This year the money has been very tight for my school in HISD. The budget was frozen for us last April and we have not been able to order any supplies like rosin or shoulder rests to get ready for the school year. Your donation for our project was EVERYTHING for my students. Without rosins and sponges and the tapes, we would not have been able to pass out supplies so students could learn how to hold their instruments properly and take care of their bows properly--like "REAL" musicians.
I am so grateful for your support. The opportunities you are providing cannot be counted in these disadvantaged kids' lives. You are opening up a whole world of possibilities of hope and education and deep friendships and music to an entire generation of Longfellow kiddos.
May you be showered with blessings and know how important you are in my life.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 6 other donors.Young Violinists in Need
Funded Feb 18, 2022The very day the 10 new instruments (8 violins and 2 violas) arrived at the school, I immediately got to work getting them into the hands of the students who were greatly in need of newer and correctly-sized instruments. The quality of the new instruments make it so much easier for the kids to get a lovely tone with the bows, and the instruments stay in tune so much better than the ones our district owns from the 1980's.
Your kindness in donating the instruments even touched the vendor selling the instruments. He sent an 11th instrument extra small violin for free along to the school with the 10 you purchased with your donation. You have "Paid it Forward" and your generosity prompted the business owner to give, too. I am so moved by your kindness and the impact for my students cannot be measured.
May God bless you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
This classroom project was brought to life by Black History Month Partners and 4 other donors.Dance Shoes for Equity
Funded Apr 19, 2022You have done such a tremendous thing for the Longfellow Dance Department! These children are so talented and love to Dance, however, none of them owned any dance shoes to use in their dance studio rehearsals. This one fact greatly separates them from dancers in any private studio around Houston. Having the proper shoes and dancewear for rehearsal is standard in any studio, but our dancers come from underprivileged families, who are struggling to meet their basic needs.
The smiles of the dancers filled the room as they tried on their new shoes, which will be stored at school for them to use when the enter the Dance studio. All the students now can have exactly the same brand and style of show, in the size they need, which helps keep the evidence of "who has" and "who has not" away from the mood of the studio, and allows for equity and safety for these "at risk" students.
The shoes will be sanitized and cleaned at the end of each school year, thus being able to serve kids for years to come. Your kindness and generosity has provided the Dance Teacher a complete class set of shoes--enough for an entire grade level! This is an incredible gift, especially with the understanding that Arts programs in our District do not receive any of the school budget and have to do all our own fundraising. Words cannot express our gratitude for your thoughtfulness in giving to our students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
This classroom project was brought to life by Dow and 2 other donors.Bass Players in Need!
Funded Nov 15, 2021I had two students ready to move into their new "larger-sized" basses. They were ecstatic about their new instruments. They wrote letters to the children who would be playing the smaller ones that they had outgrown, explaining how they name their instruments and take good care of them for the kids who would come after them.
The care and love they show for their new basses is touching. They have adjusted to the new size beautifully and are have both expressed how much more comfortable these new basses are to play. Their intonation has improved, too, and the young musicians using the new basses are both preparing to play in the Texas UIL Solo/Festival competition.
Having a good quality instrument that holds tune and fits the young musician learning is essential to growth on an instrument. This gift to my current bass students and the many bass students I will teach over the next 30 years cannot be measured in numbers.
Words cannot properly express my gratitude.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
Pay It “BUS” Forward—Spread the Love, Spread the Music
Funded Sep 26, 2018The money you gave has made such a difference in my students' lives. We take for granted liberties such as seeing a ballet, going to hear a symphony play, or attending a play; however, for my underprivileged, inner city students, these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Talent and an eagerness to learn is abounding in my Orchestra students. They are constantly asking for more music, harder songs, and extra time to practice. They are hungry for learning—soaking up every new experience with an energy and excitement that is contagious.
Due to budget cuts in our Texas Senate and in our Houston ISD Magnet Programs over the last three years, all "extras" fall outside our budget. This year, we are even rationing PAPER! Certainly, no one would be attending any field trips. Without your support, my Orchestra students would not be seeing shows in the Community or performing outside the walls of our school campus! This would be heartbreaking, as our low-income students need to hear a Symphony play to understand what is possible when playing their instruments. Or, they must learn to understand the "big picture" of the Nutcracker when learning to play a song from the famous ballet. Our Title 1 students don't have the resources to attend area festivals and competitions. However, these experiences are crucial to their growth as performers.
Imagine talented artists whose music you enjoy. Do you think these artists would have become successful without listening to others who are talented in their field? Without being inspired by observing performances more advanced and inspiring than their own? How could these artists have become great without performing in front of audiences out in the community to learn from their mistakes and learning to painstakingly mold and hone their craft? You donors have planted the seed of hope for these young performers. Through your generosity, they will experience a rich variety of performances and musical growth in our greater Houston community. In your honor, we will give back by striving for a high level of musical quality whenever we perform.
You have touched my students' lives and mine through your gift.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow
Houston Symphony Mini-Residency
Funded Jan 14, 2017With the money you gave, we were able to have a professional cellist from the Houston Symphony into our Orchestra classroom four times. One week she coached the brand new beginning players. The next visit, she tutored our strongest two cellists. For her third residency visit, she conducted the entire 5th grade Orchestra.
The pinnacle for the students was our guest's fourth and final visit . She had prepared John Williams' character Star Wars themes, which were a huge hit.
The workshop studied ways that a composer uses melodies to tell a story to an audience. The students were inspired and it connected to their daily lives and interests.
We are grateful for the donations which provided expert teaching and the opportunity for the students to also attend a performance at the Houston Symphony coming up in May. This was a gift that truly has not stopped giving. The collaboration project has prompted more new learning and opportunities for my young musicians to grow in the Orchestra.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Snow