Past projects 4
Our First Steps to Drum Line!
Funded Aug 17, 2024This fall West Bronx Academy has seen of our best music making to date! This is thanks to your donations. Students have been playing more guitar than ever before, learning new songs, and engaged in our music classroom in a new and exciting ways.
I am pleased to say that this year we have had boom of new 7th grade drummers thanks to our new drum pads. These have provided a more fulfilling experience for students during our drum unit. The goal of providing a full drum line will require more resources and time, these drum pads have allowed to advance our reading, improve technique, and inspire to new percussionists.
Thanks to your donations we have been able to restring over 20 guitars allowing each student to have their own guitar during instruction. This has allowed us to complete entire units for guitar from strumming, plucking, playing chords, and reading tablature of some of our favorite songs. Guitar has quickly become students favorite instrument of study.
Not only have our classes benefited from your donations, but our Morning Music Club has as well. This year we have more student participation than ever, with over 20 middle school and high school students regularly attending before school, twice a week to make music. This has helped us to improve student attendance as well as add to our school culture. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning you can hear the halls of West Bronx Academy humming with the music of our Morning Music Club.
After ten years of teaching, seeing the smiles on students faces from playing a new instrument or finally learning their favorite song continues to bring joy and fulfillment to my life. Creating space and opportunity for all students to thrive is a core principal of my teaching philosophy. These spaces and opportunities could not be possible without your donations. Thank you. Have a safe holiday and please continue to support the arts.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Rose
This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 20 other donors.West Bronx Brass Band Takeover!
Funded Dec 3, 2019Thank you for your generous donations to our community at West Bronx Academy. Prior to receiving our materials, we began "Morning Music." Morning Music was meant to bring students together during the hours before regular classes to create music, separate from our Core Music classes. We started with drums and piano. As our p-bones and p-trumpet arrived we began to learn brass. Students arrived individually, as well as with friends to learn something new. These new instruments were brought into our general music classrooms, giving students the opportunity to play wind instruments they had not previously had access to.
Unfortunately, the abruptness of NYC school's move to online classes (due to COVID-19), students have not been able to play these instruments. However, many were able to take home mouthpieces. To which they continue to buzz around their homes in hopes that this fall we will be able to make music together once again.
Again, thank you for all that you do in supporting our school community. We hope to share more of our successes in the future.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Rose
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 22 other donors.Growing Our Music Classroom
Funded Sep 3, 2017Thank you for your contributions to our school. You have helped provide amazing opportunities to our students. The new keyboards have allowed for more students to learn music theory, their favorite songs, and to jam out with their friends. Many students have found that working with a partner helps them learn faster, these larger keyboards make this possible. The new drum sticks have allowed for large bucket drum circles as well as for new drum set players to emerge from our classroom.
We have just completed our first Garageband project which would have not been possible without the headphones and headphone switches. This project allowed students to explore the own creativity by creating their own songs. Each student was engaged by searching loops in Garageband to find the favorite ones to add to their own song. This helped introduce students to the basics of working with computers to make music. In the coming weeks students will have the opportunity to create new compositions using MIDI keyboards as well as the Sample Pad Pro.
This weeks will be our annual talent show and many students from our music program will be performing. As the resources in our music classroom grow so does the number students playing, creating, collaborating, and building a lifelong bond to music making. Thank you for help in making this possible.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Rose
Expanding Access to Music
Funded Aug 22, 2016Your contribution has had a huge impact on the students at West Bronx Academy. The keyboard you purchased has become the center of our classroom and is used everyday. From full choir rehearsals to solo performances, students have been able to enjoy your donation.
The orange trombone has proved to be something that catches most of my students eyes. With your donation as well as a donation form Little Kids Rock we now have 4 different colored trombones that students can learn on. This is a big step for us because we currently do not have a wind and brass program at our school. Your contribution helped put instruments in hands hands of students that would normally never have had the to play any type of brass.
Our next goal is to enter in the Bronx Borough Art Fair. I have a select group of students that have working in a modern band setting this year. This week we are shooting a video to summit to enter and this would not be possible without your donation.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Rose