Past projects 55
Silence of the FLUTES!
Funded Jan 13, 2016Our new flutes are awesome! Unlike our old ones, the new flutes make it easy to play every note. Even the low notes sound clear. Our band sounds better because our flute section is able to play much better in tune. Over the next two months we will perform in several concerts, at the state festival and at our graduation ceremony. The new flutes could not have come at a better time.
Thank you so much for helping our band. We promise to take the very best care of our shiny new flutes. Your kind generosity is deeply appreciated by all of us!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation & Think It Up Supporters and 10 other donors.My Euphonium is Lonely for a Case (Part Two!)
Funded Nov 20, 2015Thank you all so much for your kind support of the MS 158q Band program! The students are so excited about their new euphonium cases! Since the new lightweight cases arrived at our school, there has been a significant increase in the number of students taking their instruments home to practice! Several of my aspiring euphonium players, especially those in the lower grades, were previously unable to practice at home, as they could not physically manage the heavy old cases. The new gig bags allow even my smallest sixth graders to carry their instruments home! The difference in the students' sound is amazing!
We also sincerely appreciate the valve oil and timpani mallets. As we forge ahead into another concert and festival season, these resources will help our students reach their potential. We promise to take the very best care of our new equipment. Thank you for your generous contributions to our band!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
Imagine Cleaner Instruments
Funded Jun 25, 2015Thank you all for supporting our project! Even though we are only about 10 weeks into the new school year, the supplies provided by this grant have already made a huge impact. All reed instruments now have mouthpiece patches, which help ease the vibrations on the students' teeth. All of our clarinet and saxophone students have their own swab, which the use to clean their instruments at the end of each rehearsal. Our percussionists are enjoying their new sticks and the new bell mallets sound great! The cleaning cloths are used regularly on the brass instruments and the brass saver brush kits will be used when I give all of the brass instruments baths at the end of the year.
This has been a particularly exciting year for us, as we began the year with news that we will soon have a new band room. Due to the kindness of local politicians, within the next 2 years our music room and storage closet will be enlarged and modernized. I can only imagine the possibilities!
Our music program has been built almost entirely on grants. We stand strong on the shoulders of people like you, who continuously offer support. Thank you so much for donating to our band. We promise to work hard in the coming year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
My Euphonium is Lonely for a Case!
Funded Feb 1, 2015Thank you all so much for supporting our classroom! My students love the new euphonium cases! Even my sixth graders can now take their euphoniums home to practice, because the new cases are much more manageable. My next step is to write more grants to get similar cases for all of the euphoniums!
This funding came at a great time for us. Last night 29 students participated in the QC Honor Band Festival (four of the 29 play euphonium) and the new cases made instrument transport much easier. In the next few weeks we will be presenting several concerts as well as competing in the state adjudication festival. Your incredibly kind support makes all of these amazing opportunities possible for the students! My trumpet students love their new mutes. Prior to the grant, we did not own any! The straight mutes provide a nice tone color when called for in the band repertoire and also make practicing at home easier for my students, as many of them live in apartments.
We sincerely appreciate your generosity and support and I promise that all of the new materials will be very well loved and cared for in our classroom. You are truly our guardian angels!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
Build Our Band!!!
Funded Oct 8, 2014Thank you so much for supporting our band program! Thanks to your kind and generous donations, we now have two working trumpets, a slapstick, more percussion practice pads and pencil holders for all of the music stands in the band room. The shiny new trumpets are simply amazing! The students who use them are no longer hindered by old, malfunctioning instruments. Their progress as musicians has been astounding! The slapstick is used in several of our pieces as a percussion effect. It adds a unique and interesting color to the percussion section. The drum pads allow more of my percussionists to practice at home, and the pencil holders ensure that every student always has a pencil readily available to make notes on their music during rehearsals.
Our band program is stronger than ever! Many students are entering competitions and auditioning for various scholarships. Twenty six of our students just participated in the All County Music Festival and we will soon be entering another concert and state festival season. We are able to do these things because of the kindness of donors like you. Thank you so much for your generosity. We promise that we will make you proud!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.STinKy, DiRtY InStrUMeNts aRe NO FUN!
Funded Aug 22, 2014Hi all! Thank you so much for supporting our project! My students and I are incredibly grateful for all of the supplies. My eighth grade band woodwind students can now swab out their instruments after every rehearsal. This helps prevent damage to the instrument caused by moisture. The I have also been using the various felts and washers to fix some of our old brass instruments. We also sincerely appreciate all of the lubricants and greases. They help keep our instruments in good condition.
Recently our school received a grant from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation/WQXR Instrument Drive. Every day we are coming closer to placing a quality instrument in the hand of each student in the band program. Thanks to your incredibly kind support, we have many of the resources necessary to maintain the instruments. Our entire band program is built on grants, donations and the overwhelming kindness of people like you. Thank you all so much for your support! Best wishes for much health, happiness, peace and prosperity in the New Year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 11 other donors.Make a Joyful Noise!
Funded Apr 25, 2014Thank you so much for contributing to our project! My students were overjoyed to receive their new instruments and supplies. In all my years of teaching I have never seen students race to class faster than they now do in order to play on the awesome new blue Tiger Trumpet! The clip on tuners helped make concert and festival tuning much easier. We also love the new snare drum kit. The drum sounds fantastic and the carrying case made it easier to bring the drum to off site concerts, such as State Festival and graduation.
It always amazes me how new instruments motivate and inspire the children! The kind generosity of donors such as each of you in inspiring to my students. Without various grants and donations, we would not even have a band program. Because of grants, more than 200 students learn band instruments in our school each year. Thank you for your generous support! We promise that we will take care of our new equipment, so that many future generations of students will benefit from your kindness!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
Help! My Instrument Has No Case!!!
Funded May 10, 2014Our new instrument cases arrived just in time for concert season! Having cases not held together by duct tape and bungee cords was an enormous help when we traveled off-site for various festivals, performances and state competition. My students did a phenomenal job this year and received a gold with distinction rating at the state adjudication festival last month!
We consider ourselves immensely fortunate to have a strong band program at a time when so many music programs are being scaled back or cut out altogether. It is because of the kindness of donors such as yourselves. Although you have never met my students, please know how much your amazing generosity means to each and every one of them. Thank you so much for supporting our band. We promise to continue to strive for greater things!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
Shining Saxophones!
Funded Dec 29, 2013Thank you all for supporting "Shining Saxophones!" Another concert season has just gone by, and your help made it very successful. Our students performed several times school concerts and other events, as well as at a local nursing home. Their music brought smiles to the faces of many. Last month our symphonic band received a Gold with Distinction rating at state festival. The new saxophone and maintenance supplies helped us get there!
The students were extremely excited by the beautiful new saxophone. They take turns taking it home to practice. It is easy to play and has a sweet, beautiful sound. We promise that we will always take great care of it.
Thank you all for your kind generosity. More than 200 students enter my room each day and every new instrument allows more kids to have the opportunity to learn music. With 100 new students entering the seventh grade beginning band next year, I can only begin to imagine the excitement next year will bring. Thank you for allowing the beauty of music to enter the lives of my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter
HeLp BuiLd Our BAND!!!
Funded Dec 16, 2013Thank you all so much for supporting our project! The new instruments we received are already making a difference in the lives of my students. The instruments are in excellent condition and are being used in class every day. It is amazing how much difference working instruments make for the students!
Today the band at our school made history! We went to State Festival and received an unprecedented rating of gold with distinction. This has never happened at a middle school in our county! It is because of donors, such as yourselves, that our band program is thriving. The new instruments and cleaning/maintenance supplies helped us a great deal.
Thank you for investing in my students' education! Each new instrument we receive is an opportunity for another child to learn to play music. My students and I sincerely appreciate your kindness and generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Schecter