Past projects 23
Hark! A High Quality Sound System!
Funded May 18, 2012I am so grateful that there are donors like you that have generously supported my classroom. The stereo that you all helped to provide has made a big difference in my music classroom. The sound quality is excellent, so my students get to hear music represented at its best. The stereo itself supports multiple sound sources, so I can switch from CD to mp3 player to computer audio with the touch of a button on the remote. Even just in terms of the visual impact, my students are excited to use such an impressive-looking piece of equipment.
Additionally, we can use this stereo for our public performances. The volume is loud enough without distortion that I can use it to play a recorded accompaniment for all fifty students in one grade. This frees me to conduct and manage transitions between acts.
Thank you again for your generosity in providing this stereo for my music classroom. My students will continue to benefit from this high-quality sound system for years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bowling
See, Hear, Experience: A Projector for Music Class
Funded Mar 19, 2012Thank you so much for your generous donations. With our new projector and cart, we have been able to incorporate all kinds of new activities in my music classroom. In second grade, we are using a video of movement activities to go along with classical music. This introduces them to the expressive possibilities of combining movement and music. My first graders are watching orchestras perform music they have only listened to before.
In the older grades, I am able to use additional technology, including the Internet. Fourth graders are learning about jazz history, and there are many online resources available. I can choose a student to control the mouse and we click our way through various websites.
Adding a visual element has transformed my students' understanding of musical concepts. Thanks to your generosity, I have a wider variety of activities to choose from that support my curriculum.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bowling
Strike Up The Band!
Funded Oct 12, 2011Thank you so much for your generous support for my music classroom. As you will see in the pictures, we have started using the materials in all grades and for many different activities. Students of all ages enjoy using the small percussion instruments. In lower-elementary classes, performing on these hand-held instruments helps reinforce beat competency in a fun, engaging way. In upper-elementary classes, students are able to improvise, compose, and perform complicated rhythms on these instruments. Some older students are using the music stands to hold the music they have just composed so they can have both hands free to hold the instruments. In my oldest classes, students are practicing being a conductor, leading the class with the conductor's baton as the group plays their instruments.
Although I am lucky to be at a school with a principal who fervently supports the arts, we cannot always afford the many different materials necessary for a complete music education. With your donations, we have been able to acquire the equipment essential to implementing a wider variety of musical activities. This helps me further my goal of giving my students as many different musical opportunities as possible.
Thank you for all you have contributed to my students' musical growth. I am grateful that there are donors like you to support classrooms in need.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Bowling
This classroom project was brought to life by The Pumpkin Foundation/Joe and Carol Reich and 13 other donors.