Past projects 23
Keep The Music Playing!
Funded Nov 4, 2015Thank you all so very much for your generous donations to my project. My students were so excited when the materials arrived; it was almost like Christmas morning to them. They were really thrilled to get the new instrument cases especially.
We will be using these resources throughout this school year and for many years to come. Some of the items are "consumables", like the reeds and strings, which we will use until they are gone. Hopefully four boxes of clarinet reeds will last until the end of this school year! The strings will definitely last at least the remainder of this year, and probably into part of next school year as well. My 5th grade advanced violin students are currently using the Suzuki violin method and are happy to have the accompaniment CD now as well for our upcoming performances. We will use the other string book for our spring concert. The sax neck straps replaced some very old and worn neck straps and are much more comfortable for the students than the old ones. Many of our school owned clarinets did not have any cleaning swab at all, so the children are learning how to use the swabs.
The violin bows are being put to good use as well, since many of the school owned violins had bows with very little hair left or did not tighten properly anymore. But the best part of this project for me has been seeing the excitement on the faces of my trumpet and trombone players when they saw their new cases for the first time. It is not an exaggeration to say that the old cases were falling apart. One trumpet case was being held together with duct tape and the other one had no carrying handle. The trombone cases were in similar shape and were also very large and difficult to carry. These new cases are lightweight and much easier to carry back and forth to school.
My students are so proud of all of these new items and we will treasure them for years to come. Thanks again for your support of the music education program at my school.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Richards
Woodwinds and Brass and Drums... Oh My!!
Funded Dec 10, 2013My 4th, 5th and 6th grade band and string students were so excited to have our project fully funded. The trumpet players were happy to have valve oil to put in their cases to be able to use at home. The clarinet players were thrilled with the accessories, especially the new cases. It was nice to be able to throw away the old cases that were broken and taped together and replace them with new ones. What a boost to their self-esteem!
Having several sets of replacement strings for the school violins has allowed my students to continue to participate in class daily, since I can replace strings quickly while teaching(if I have them).The wireless bluetooth speaker has definitely improved both teaching and learning, as I am a traveling teacher and do not have the same classroom every day I teach in this building. This speaker gives me the ability to play accompaniments of the tunes we are studying in our string and band method books from my iPod and to play recordings of other pieces as musical examples for the students.
For children that cannot even afford their own instrument, having new things for band and strings class definitely gives them a more positive outlook on the world and how very generous and supportive the world at large is, even if they do not see this generosity on a daily basis in their own community. On behalf of my students, thank you so much for your generous contribution to the instrumental music program at our school.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Richards
Keep Our Horns Tooting!
Funded Jul 27, 2010Thank you so much for donating to my project "Keep Our Horns Tooting!". The materials that I requested have given my students the opportunity to improve their playing and achievement in my band tremendously. Because over 90% of my students play on school-owned instruments, they also cannot afford to purchase their own reeds. Your donation has allowed me to give my clarinet and saxophone students their reeds free of charge. It has also freed up money in the small budget I receive from my school to get more instruments repaired.
The mouthpieces that were purchased with your donation have allowed my clarinet players to achieve a tone quality that I never dreamed possible. The look on their faces the first time they played on their new mouthpieces was precious. It was like a light bulb came on and they realized how great a clarinet could sound.
Thanks again for your donation. Without individuals like you, my inner city band program would not be flourishing. Thanks you for caring about my students.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Richards