Past projects 3
No More Plywood! Quality Instruments for all Students
Funded Aug 23, 2017We've just started our third month of this school year, and over 200 of students in grades 7 and 8 are learning instruments. That's a miracle to me. It's also a miracle to me that for the first time in the history of our school, none of our 8th grade students will be playing a plywood instrument--one that is not worthy of the time and dedication they put into their work. Thanks to you, we've been able to phase out so many of these instruments.
The cellos were the last to arrive, and arrived a three weeks ago. I had been telling two of the cellists that would be playing them, E. and M., that they would be arriving late and they would need to play on the plywood instruments first this year. They were patient, but wow--what a difference the new instruments made! E. remarked immediately at how much easier the new instrument was to play. M. has been taking the new cello home several times a week to practice, which she had not done before. For all students, learning that others had donated money to buy us new instruments was inspiring. As one student put it: "I will never question again that people do care about NYC students.""
This upcoming month, the seventh grade students will begin to cover songs they're interested in learning off the Internet. Eighth grade students will be studying Latin jazz and fusing songs from their cultural backgrounds with the language of jazz. We couldn't be more excited to embark on this year's musical adventures.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shieh
Doing Latin Jazz Right
Funded Jan 13, 2013A huge thanks and shout-out to all of you for making this project happen. My school, like many schools across the country now, has faced the toughest budget I can recall from the past decade. When I returned from Venezuela last summer determined to teach my students some of the music I brought back with me, I knew it wouldn't be possible without generous help to acquire the necessary Latin percussion instruments.
Now, with the school year drawing to a close, I can't imagine my classroom without these instruments. The kids are on them all the time--from an after-school jazz ensemble of 20 kids to a group of students that have formed a Latin rock band that meets during lunch. Perhaps most impressively, the instruments were used during an orchestral concert, where 60 students performed Jesús Florido's "Mi Negra" with a full rhythm section and brought the house down.
Thanks so much for investing in my students, me, and in Music in our schools!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shieh
Bringin' Songwriting Back: Rock Bands in Music Class
Funded Jul 29, 2011The most important thing I can say is that I can't keep students out of my classroom. They come at lunch, they come after school, and they come in the morning. They grab guitars, they grab peers that can sing or play cello or violin, they spread out. They scribble lyrics into notebooks. They look up chords on the Internet. Several, incredibly, are writing a song about sustainability for a United Nations under-15 international songwriting competition.
This after three months, with 25 students in one class piloting my songwriting curriculum. Next month, 120 students embark on this journey with me and I get the sense already that this is what they have been waiting for. I am not exaggerating when I say that a handful of guitars changes everything: it transforms the possibilities of the music classroom, and allows students a way to connect the school music curriculum to the music of many of their lives.
Thanks so much for the unique opportunity to reshape my classroom, and to reshape my work as an educator. I am floored by your generosity. ”
With gratitude,
Mr. Shieh