Past projects 12
Marvelous Marimba Moments!
Funded Feb 16, 2019Thank you so much for your help with our funding project. I recieved the news that this project was fully funded durning our 6th grade marimba class, and the entire class cheered. There were so many happy faces. These kids are truly are a blessing to teach. They put a lot of hard work in and exhibit a great love of music. We will send updates of our trip on this project page. Again thank you!!! :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
Shake, Rattle, and Roll!
Funded Nov 8, 2017All the instruments have arrived at our school and being put to great use for the kids. The alto glockenspiel has been used by countless students in our elementary school with their studies in mallet percussion learning beat, rhythm, pitch, and how to improvise songs. The flexatone will be put to good use with exploring pitch and using it as a percussion instrument in grades K-3. I have used the maracas, and they are so much better with their sound than the pairs I have already. The are percussive enough to be heard in an ensemble of instruments. Currently I have been using them as an instrument with kindergarten in our musical form and expression studies. Our community, students, and teachers a like thank you for your financial support. Your support makes our music learning that much more tuneful, artful, beatful, and joyful for the kids that I teach.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
Mallet Materials Update
Funded May 25, 2017Thank you so much for your support of music education at our school! Students have started using the brand-new mallets in their grade level marimba bands throughout the school week. The kids were excited to start using them immediately!!! In addition, I have started using the repair materials on our school's glockenspiels. The kids in various grades enjoy the clear ringing sound they make by making them fully functional with these spare parts. I also plan on using these spare parts to help train other music teachers in our district on how to repair their glockenspiels at their own schools. This project has given quality music materials to kids in grades K-6, and has allowed me to pass on my knowledge of repairing instruments to others as well.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
This classroom project was brought to life by H&M and 2 other donors.That's a Sound Idea!
Funded Jul 25, 2017Thank you so much for your financial support. The kids absolutely love all of the music manipulatives, story books, and sheet music. Each material I bring out aids in developing their creativity and performance skills and knowledge in music. With grades K-2 we end each music class with a folk song or song story book. It relaxes them and works on their comprehension of plot and lyrics. The story cubes will be ideal for working on improvisational singing with first and second grade as we progress later in the year. I appreciate your of music education at our school. Our parents, students, myself, and other staff send our biggest thanks for your generosity. :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and one other donor.2016 American Orff-Schulwerk Conference
Funded Jul 14, 2016. Thank you for the tremendous support you have given me in cultivating my teaching methods by providing financial support for me to attend music professional development for AOSA. At the National American Orff Schulwerk Association conference, I was able to get materials and in-depth instruction on drumming circles, folk dancing, new singing games, and movement exercises that will help my students achieve their grade level music standards, as well as enrich them to be a tuneful, artful, and beatful musicians. At this conference I was able familiarize myself with more colleagues around the nation who specialize in folk dancing and multi-cultural drumming. The more we collaborate with other teachers around this world, the more we can help our students in various locations to make music a meaningful part of their lives in what every capacity they choose when they growup. :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.Musical Growth
Funded Jul 14, 2016As I start to plan for the new school year, having all these materials at hand will greatly enhance the level of instruction and the tuneful, beatful, artful, and joyful music making students make in class. The gray stools will provide our upper elementary students with more seats to play our tubano and djembes when we are studying world music drumming. The drum mat will provide stable friction for the drum set I use to be played. If I play without drum mat with cymbals tend to scoot away from me when we play for extended period of time. This won't be the case with using this with the students. The books and puppet will greatly cultivate the imagination and creativity of the students. I always strive to end each music lesson with students hearing a story or listening to a folk song that I'm singing; with the goal in mind of students hearing florid singing or having influence in the story making process with vocal or instrument music added. The oil and disinfectant will help with keeping marimba and xylophone bars and boxes from getting too brittle, and for recorder instruments to be healthy when sharing them across classes. Our community, kids, and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous support of music education.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.Music Literacy for All!
Funded Jun 15, 2016As I start preparing for the start of the school year, these materials have been a true blessing in constructing quality music lessons for our school's students. The puppets and book will aid in the assistance of kids working on pitch exploration, steady beat, simple unison and round singing, as well as learning and building on their movement for form and expression techniques. These materials help students imagine different plots in stories and songs and thus bit by bit, cultivates their imaginations which spurs creativity. I received some Conversational Solfege training in a nearby town, and I was so impressed with the benefits and the linking of the curriculum I currently use with the K-2 students. I believe this will enhance our students' ability to read vocal music with notation in rhythm and pitch. Thank you so much! Our kids, community, and I are extremely grateful from the bottom of our hearts for your generous support. :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
A Noteworthy Carpet
Funded Jun 15, 2016Over the last week, since our new music carpet has arrived, the students and I have been putting it to great use. I primarily use it with my K-2 students, but on occasion it works well with the upper elementary students. When it first arrived the students and I were amazed at the vibrant colors and the detail of pictures on the music carpet. It certainly has helped with classroom management. I simply tell students to join my me "on a picture" square of the carpet (there is over 20 of them) and the students simply sit inside or just to the outside of each of the squares. Classroom transitions have definitely become way faster and smoother this year with the visual aide the carpet provides. Thank you so much for your support of our school's music program by supporting this project! :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
World Music Drumming
Funded Mar 29, 2016Our brand new Remo Tubano drums came in last week, and the kids were immediately drawn to them! The first thing they noticed was that these drums were built better and they could drum with correct posture and hand position like I have been teaching them. Recently, our 4th-6th grade marimba group had the opportunity to play in Seattle, WA. I saw that there was going to be some hand drumming sessions as well when we were done playing. Naturally we brought the drums and contributed with other community members in making wonderful music together. The kids, parents, and I are thrilled to have new drumming equipment, which will help provide our community with musical enjoyment and knowledge for years and years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis
Marvelous Music Materials
Funded Aug 3, 2015The classroom resources our school received have helped our students tremendously in their studies of performing, creating, and responding to music. I have already started to implement their use with students at the K-2 level. Students' imaginations are engaged constantly with these great stories set to songs. Last week I heard 2nd grade singing parts of "Risseldy, Rosseldy" as they went out smiling to recess. Students infer and recall information better with the added pictures to the well crafted lyrics and melodies of each of the songs, which I sing to them. Thank you for your generous support of music education. :)”
With gratitude,
Mr. Curtis