Past projects 2
Zimbabwean Marimba Ensemble: Bringing the World Closer to Home
Funded Mar 9, 2021On behalf of myself and all of our students, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you for your donation which enabled us to purchase two additional Zimbabwean marimbas. The difference that the additional instruments has made to the overall group's musical sound is tremendous...confirming the fact that in musical groups, each person's contribution maximizes the level of the entire group. Music is truly a community-building endeavor.
My students feel exhilarated and enamored when playing the Zimbabwean marimbas. There is a clear difference between when they play the music on typical elementary general music xylophones and when they transfer the music to the Zimbabwean marimbas. The difference is not just a musical one, but one that opens up their soul and provides an opportunity to experience and hear the music as intended on these traditional instruments.
One clear memory I had is a student coming up to me and telling me they had trouble sleeping because the marimba music kept replaying in their mind. This was followed by the parent of the student emailing me to let me know that their child has shown so much happiness around the house with their self-confidence as a capable musician. Playing music on these marimbas opens up the students' world to their own capabilities and potential as a musician and positive member of society. This builds their self-confidence, which will go on to affect so many different areas of their lives.
With utmost sincerity, thank you for giving of your own valuable resources to make such an impactful difference in the educational journey of our students for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Le
Zimbabwean Marimba Ensemble: Bringing the World Closer to Home
Funded Sep 30, 2020On behalf of myself and all of our students, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you for your donation which enabled us to purchase a Zimbabwean bass marimba. The difference the one instrument has made to the overall group's musical sound is tremendous...confirming the fact that in musical groups, each person's contribution maximizes the level of the entire group. Music is truly a community-building endeavor.
My students feel exhilarated and enamored when playing the Zimbabwean marimbas. There is a clear difference between when they play the music on typical elementary general music xylophones and when they transfer the music to the Zimbabwean marimbas. The difference is not just a musical one, but one that opens up their soul and provides an opportunity to experience and hear the music as intended on these traditional instruments.
One clear memory I had was when a student came up to me after a weekend and explained how he stayed up very late on Saturday because he spent all night watching YouTube videos of Zimbabwean marimba groups. He explained that the music is so beautiful that he could not stop watching. Opening up the students' world to music of other cultures and people from other countries is an important part of our mission. It was confirming to see students proactively seeking more information on their own. Most of all, playing music on these marimbas opens up the students' world to their own capabilities and potential as a musician and positive member of society. This builds their self-confidence, which will go on to affect so many different areas of their lives.
With utmost sincerity, thank you for giving of your own valuable resources to make such an impactful difference in the educational journey of our students for years to come!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Le
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 50 other donors.