Past projects 46
We'll Have This Song Out Anon by Ourselves
Funded May 9, 2018This project provided our classroom and the Rock Band Club with a nice keyboard, a small guitar amp and pedal, and a bass pedal, plus some guitar cables and a cymbal bag. The keyboard is better for piano students than the lighter one we have, and now we can accommodate two players at once. This year, we're planning to set up up two separate stations, one with the electronic drumkit, the lighter keyboard, and an acoustic guitar, and one with the full quiet drum set plus electric guitar and bass. The bag and cables are some of the little things that make playing together effective and convenient. You can't play at all without an instrument, but even though accessories may not seem very exciting to rally support for, they are important to keep everything working well.”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.Sometimes a Thousand Twanging Instruments will Hum about Mine Ears
Funded Mar 24, 2018Your support funding this project was very exciting for us, but aside from an electric bass guitar, the list of items might not seem very exciting to others: a rack, a stand, some picks. A full band setup is very expensive and complicated, and the little things really add up. The bass fills out our basic setup of guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, but the little items make everything work better and help keep things organized and easy to use. The pictures show how we were able to create a full band setup in the classroom last spring in a way that few high school students ever see or have access to. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
Indeed your drums, being beaten, will cry out
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you for the great drum gear! We can now practice much better with real drums, and it's nice that they're not too loud. Other teachers would not like it if we were using regular drums because they're so loud, but learning to play or practicing on electronic drums is not a very good substitute for playing on a full regular set. The low volume cymbals and drum heads feel much more like regular drums. Even though the sound is different, most drummers feel much better playing with the low volume set. We practiced a lot last year. This year, it's time to set up a show and perform for our friends!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and one other donor.Healthful music: it is not madness
Funded Sep 28, 2017Thank you very much for your generous donations. The new keyboard is probably the most used instrument in the room now. A variety of students who have contributed to the project shared their thoughts on why they like to have instruments and music in the classroom. One student wrote on the board that the instruments allow her to "express my feels," in the author's contemporary usage. Another first wrote, "It helps me forget the sh*t I went through," then erased it because she didn't want to seem rude. She then revised into, "It helps me forget what I need to forget." That student sometimes plays Beethoven, sometimes popular music. She plays almost every day, and she brings in beginners and shows them how to get started. Another wrote how hearing the sound of music in the hallway, "gives me joy." Recently during lunch and break times, sometimes one, sometimes more than fifteen students are in the room playing music.”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
From the Organ-Pipe of Frailty Sings His Soul and Body
Funded Apr 22, 2016Thank you so much for your support! The Hammond organ arrived in September, but the Leslie amp was damaged in delivery. We waited over a month for a replacement, but it was still not available, so we ordered a smaller keyboard amp as substitute and still had enough credit left to get a small electronic drum kit. Since I'm at a new school this year, I'm starting all new with music here, too. Although it's sad to give up on the Leslie (its special spinning speakers create a unique sound), having a lesser keyboard amp and approaching a full band setup is more practical than having only one instrument. One instrument is better than none, of course, and two is better than one, but the drum set is what really brings everything together, performers and audience alike. A lot of interest has been building up while we've been waiting for the amp, so we're all ready to start rocking! Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 4 other donors.We Can't Live Without Music
Funded Dec 24, 2015Over the summer, I changed schools, so I'm writing this on the students' behalf. Most of the performers in the pictures graduated last spring and have moved on as well. The photos are from the students' last show. They completely organized everything. They came up with the idea, looked at the crowded end-of-year calendar, and found a date that worked with the administration. They planned the line-up amongst the different student bands, both showcasing seniors and involving younger students as well. They also wrote most of the songs they performed. The performances and practices utilized the gear supplied by the project, but that the students wrote the proposal that you funded and then they organized their show using the gear was what it's all about. The student-initiated component to the project matches well with the results and many of our goals with students. Thank you for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by Staples & Think It Up Supporters and 2 other donors.Tabours and Cymbals and the Shouting
Funded Apr 7, 2015Thanks for your generous donation. It's very difficult to outfit and maintain our Rock band club band practice spaces. These cymbals really sound great, and we're lucky to have the chance to play on such nice gear. I've spent a lot of time writing grants to supply the band practice setups, and I spend a lot of time keeping the gear in order. It's nice to have your support, and it helps to feel that I'm not alone. It's easy to find people willing to talk, even to talk about how they don't have time to help, but it's harder to find someone willing to do something. Thanks to Donors Choose for making it possible for us to find each other, and thanks again for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
Students Shouldn't Have to Pay to Play in LA
Funded Apr 6, 2015Thanks for helping us get this project going! Three student bands who had all paid to play before were graduating seniors last spring, and they were the first involved. This month, we had a guest speaker for our new 9th graders, someone who owns his own DJ/pro audio business. We have met the owner of an all-ages club where bands do not pay to play, and we are arranging time for him to speak to our current student bands. We have met with representatives of a local music instrument retailer that offers music business workshops on arranging for a presentation from them as well. The pay-to-play issue is one part of the music business, and dealing with it involves many other aspects of the business as well. The guitars and portfolios are part of the audition presentation we are working with the students on making as they seek their own gigs. Thanks again for your help!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
...One Man of Tolerable Abilities May Work Great Changes
Funded Oct 13, 2014This project bought books for AP English Language students. The AP Language test focuses on college-style reading and composition, primarily non-fiction, and the course is intended to be the equivalent to college English 101, which is likewise intended to prepare students for writing across the college curriculum. The AP Lang exam typically includes some readings from the times of the US Revolutionary or Civil Wars, and these can be very challenging because of the many differences in diction and style. To help students with these readings, I usually try to read with them something like The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Last time we used The narrative of Frederick Douglass. The Dover Thrift editions are a low-cost way to give students a book, but even when books only cost a couple dollars each, the total cost climbs fast when class sizes are so big. Both my AP classes are nearly 40 students this year. It's so nice to have both the financial support and the acknowledgment, neither of which classroom teachers get much of these days. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by College Football Playoff and 3 other donors.Let the Sounds of Music Creep in Our Ears
Funded Oct 16, 2014Thanks for your support! As mentioned in the project proposal, the list of items this project purchased might not look too exciting: a couple pedals of different kinds, mainly. These represent some of the last components of a major upgrade for us this year, though. As also mentioned in the proposal, the upgrade to our student band practice setups this year has made a huge difference, and that's because of DonorsChoose. Last year, we only had one band practice space, and it was always busy at lunch. Now we have two, and they're both always busy at lunch. Last year at one of our shows, only one student band played. Now we have more bands that want to play at this Friday's show than we can accommodate. These pedals may seem a minor part, but there are so many parts. Having two band practice spaces means double gear, double supplies, double maintenance. It's a lot of work, and we really appreciate the help. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. O
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 5 other donors.