A typical day in our classroom has become a lot noisier. We have grown by twenty students and we are using almost every school instrument we own. However, our nine percussionists need to be occupied by music. We are missing the smaller instruments that make a big impact in sound and feeling.
Our students live in the Silicon Valley, in an urban high school district, which is largely low, socio-economic status and high needs.
Our school is a close-knit, large school, of two thousand, four hundred and fifty plus students. We have the drive to succeed and to be noticed. Our students love to try new things and love being involved in all that the high school experience has to offer.
My Project
Imagine nine active, budding, high school percussionists. They love to be busy and they want to make music. These percussion instruments will allow all of them to more actively participate in our piece. We will be playing "Fortress", by Ticheli, and the music calls for far more instruments than we own. We are also having an orchestra pit for our spring musical in the Heights in a few months. The music calls for many instruments that we do not currently have like bells, mallets and a cowbell. In collaboration with our drama program, we need these instruments to give everyone the best possible, full musical experience. Providing quality instruments and equipment for my students, is of the utmost importance so we can continue to empower through the arts.
Our students should have the experience of playing all different kinds of instruments to make them well-rounded, educated percussionists.
Most of them have never seen anything beyond a set of bells, a snare drum or a bass drum. This will teach them how to use different types of instruments for different genres of music. Our students should have the opportunity to participate to the full extent that the music calls for, by having the equipment that they need.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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