Mr. Withers' Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 6

• Cultural Representation Through Music

  Funded Sep 20, 2023

  Thank you so much for your incredibly generous donation. We have incorporated the conga drums and the conga stand into our class this year and it has made a tremendous difference in our music. Not only are we able to play new styles of music but it also allowed one of my seniors to start a Latin Band after school as well as create their own arrangement of a Latin piece for the band to perform this spring.

  The additional woodwind supplies and tuners have made our students play with a great deal of confidence as we continue to elevate the level of musicianship from our beginning freshmen to our graduating seniors.

  All of this would not be possible without your incredible generosity. Please forgive the lateness of this expression of gratitude as there were some complications receiving some of the items. Nonetheless our students are eternally grateful for the opportunity afforded to them and they are anxious to perform and embrace new styles of music.

  Thank you so much again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 9 other donors.

• The School is Alive with the Sounds of Music

  Funded May 29, 2015

  On behalf of my music students I would like to thank you again for donating the Kontakt Komplete package to our school. The software is primarily used to create unique sounds for performance and recording. What this software has done for our students is immeasurable. My students have found a new voice and have been expressing themselves in ways they never thought possible.

  One example is in my AP Music Theory class. The students have been creating compositions using their knowledge of music theory. The way these compositions used to be constructed was very creative but the students never really got to hear the piece the way that they imagined it. With this addition to our classroom, the compositions come to life in an unprecedented fashion allowing the student to give and receive immediate feedback which boosts their confidence, creativity, and problem solving skills.

  The performance ensembles are also experiencing the dynamic use of these sounds. The vocalists in the chorus have more input to the accompaniment that they sing with. They have the ability to adjust the sounds and the balance of the music. They have established musical autonomy with their performance thanks to this implementation of technology. The band also has been able to fill in missing instruments and strengthen existing ones. The use of this virtual instrument also allows more students to be involved in the music making process.

  Overall this has been a wonderful addition to our classroom. The students are going to be creating their own original songs with melody, harmony, and accompaniment in the coming weeks and they have never been more excited to create and express themselves. And that is all thanks to you wonderful donors that have given these wonderful musicians a voice and a way to develop the songs in their mind and hearts.

  Thank you so much,”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers

• Let's Go Band!

  Funded Aug 25, 2012

  Thank you so much for your incredible donation. Just to give you an idea of how incredible this has been for our school, I want to share with you a few anecdotes from the past few months. I have had two students who were dying to learn an instrument go from below average music students, to academically successful students across the board.

  One young lady has changed her attitude completely because she was able to pick up drum sticks and found her 'groove' so to speak. Another young lady, who had her own mouthpiece, was struggling so much that she was very near giving up. She got her hands on the new mouthpiece, and the different was remarkable. The Oboe player has a new beautiful sound, and my freshmen are really starting to come into their own. These stories are just the beginning of what is to come.

  All of these accomplishments are all thanks to the wonderful support from donations like yours. We really appreciate the extraordinary efforts to preserve the arts in schools and I personally want to thank you again for your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers

• A Spotlight On Success

  Funded Nov 15, 2011

  Thank you very much for this wonderful gift of a spotlight. I can not express enough in words how much this has meant to our school. We had a performance shortly after we received the spotlight and it was incredible how the spotlight changed our student's performance. They felt incredibly powerful and successful because literally 'the spotlight was all on them.' They felt professional and they felt special. Something that was missing from our previous performances has now become a major staple in our music department.

  I hope that you take great comfort knowing that you have successfully changed the musical and theatrical worlds of our children. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and on the behalf of my students I would just like to thank you again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers

• Students that Need a Guitar Hero

  Funded Mar 25, 2011

  On behalf of the students in our music department, I would like to personally thank you for your wonderful donation of the amplifier to our school. As the school year has winded down, I can fully attest to the impact that your donation has had on our students. Having this amplifier in our classroom has allowed students to practice more efficiently, critique their performance, and refine their performance to outstanding levels. This new addition to our program has also allowed for more portable performances giving our students more opportunities to showcase their talents.

  Possibly the most important impact has been the immediacy of feedback of their performance which has led to an increase in the self esteem of our students. When my musicians can really hear how good they actually are, their confidence skyrockets and then their performance are that much greater.

  These simple words can not begin to convey the difference that your donation has made in the lives of these musicians. The instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, arrangers, and conductors of all of our groups have benefited greatly as a result of this generous gift. They, as well as I, thank you very much and want you to know that we are eternally grateful for your generosity. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers

• The Beat of Their Own Drums

  Funded Jan 20, 2011

  Thank you for your donation of the bass drum mallets to our school's music program. The students saw them and, to be perfectly honest, I have never seen them as excited. They already started planning the new choreography for the concert and future competitions.

  The first time that the musicians used the mallets, I could tell that their confidence levels were significantly higher. They already enjoyed playing the drums, but this brought their talent, enthusiasm, and passion to a much higher level.

  I believe that their thank you letters indicate how grateful they are for your donation. I want to express my gratitude as well because teaching these incredible musicians has become that much more rewarding.

  Thank you again, ”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Withers