Four music teachers in two years... no stability, no consistency. It's difficult to find a good music teacher and when you do, it's necessary to supply them with instruments to empower students. I'm currently finishing up my second year teaching at Freedom Academy and have greatly enjoyed the journey thus far.

I have a cart. It is very blue. On the top of my cart sits a keyboard. A shelf below contains various boomwhackers. And another shelf holds my speaker and several small percussion instruments. I teach an entire unit about the instruments of the orchestra and yet, most of my students will never get to actually hold the instruments they have learned so much about.

The students would be overwhelmed to start a small strings group at school. Many of them have expressed their desire to play "real" instruments some day.

Any donations would be appreciated beyond words... please help me in making some dreams come true. Read more »

We have a wonderfully supportive administration and community, but unfortunately we also have an economically struggling community. A major source of employment closed down this year and subsequently forced a lot of kids who were renting instruments out of band & orchestra. We definitely have the intelligence and the desire to have a fantastic program, we are just lacking quality equipment. The upright basses all have splits and cracks in them and all but one are missing soundposts, and only one has a functioning end-pin. We are also lacking on tenor saxophones which most parents refuse to rent from a music store, however there are tons of kids who want to play these instruments. I can handle most basic repairs on instruments, but our basses and tenor saxes are beyond all conceivable help, they have been in the district for 25+ years. Read more »

Imagine wanting to be in band, but knowing your parents can't afford to get you an instrument. When I do band recruitment, the 1st questions from many students are, "Is band free?" "Does it cost anything to get an instrument?" "I want to be in band, but my family cannot afford to rent or buy an instrument" My students attend a Title 1 public school where most kids qualify for free breakfast and free lunch. Our band program has started to grow thanks to the efforts of generous people who see how important music education is to these children's whole person education. But we are still lacking instruments to fill in the gaps of those who cannot get their own. Making music together is for many of my students the highlight of their school day.

Playing an instrument gives them an opportunity to develop socially, cooperatively and musically. It teaches them how to be responsible young adults. Band students consistently become better readers, better at math and solve problems more quickly than non musicians. Please donate an instrument or money TODAY to help my students grow into well rounded, educated and critical thinkers. THANK YOU!!Read more »

Four music teachers in two years... no stability, no consistency. It's difficulut to find a good music teacher and when you do, it's necessary to supply them with instruments to empower students. I'm currently finishing up my second year teaching at Freedom Academy and have greatly enjoyed the journey thus far.

I have a cart. It is very blue. On the top of my cart sits a keyboard. A shelf below contains various boomwhackers. And another shelf holds my speaker and several small percussion instruments. I teach an entire unit about the instruments of the orchestra and yet, most of my students will never get to actually hold the instruments they have learned so much about.

The students would be overwhelmed to start a small strings group at school. Many of them have expressed their desire to play "real" instruments some day. I have several bells that I'm going to start using to reinforce the concept of music theory with kindergarten, first, and second grade students, but I simply do not have enough to keep the whole class engaged.

Any donations would be appreciated beyond words... please help me in making some dreams come true. Read more »

My students are great! They always come to my class excited to learn no matter what is going on elsewhere. This class makes it possible for the students to disappear into another world for 50 minutes. There are no worries if they are going to eat that night or how they are getting some place. Right now, I am having to turn students away from this opportunity because of the condition of some of the instruments. My students are literally playing on instruments that are 20 years old so it is quite common for me to hear that a piece fell off somewhere. Some students are having to play on instruments that are broken because I don't have the funds to replace all of them. Regardless, my students come to class and make the most of it. I enjoy the smiles on their faces when they finally master a section of the music that they had been struggling on.Read more »

Our program is thriving at Sunset Vista Elementary school! With our growth this year, our instrument pool is running short, even thought we've borrowed inventories of 2 more schools besides our self! We need some lower playing instruments to help beef up our beginning and returning bands this and next year! With rental costs so high for these instruments, we try to supply the students that want to play them an instrument so they have the opportunity to be and play in band for years to come!Read more »

Our school is located in a very low-income neighborhood. Very few students can afford to rent an instrument. This year I recruited 92 students from 5th through 8th grade. The school has only 25 instruments, not counting a few percussion instruments. I organized a rental night with a rental company and invited parents so they could rent instruments for their kids. Out of 30 parents that showed up, only 10 could afford the rental fee. The school provides the 25 instruments that we have available to the students that are more needed; this is done through a raffle, and for a fee of one dollar. I received a note from a single parent asking me to please wait until she could come up with the dollar. Since I wanted the student to start playing his trumpet I told him and another student that I would pay it for them and that they could pay me later. At the present moment instead of having 92 students my program has a total of 43 students. There are so many talented students in my school that are hungry to play a musical instrument and yet they have been hindered from the process of developing their talent due to the lack of instruments in the school.
I respectfully urge you to please take into consideration the needs of these students and the positive impact that having them as members of a musical band can bring into their social lives as well as academically. You are also welcome to visit with us and meet with us and see for yourself our needs.
Thank you,
Emilio O. Gonzalez
Band teacher at Cash Elementary School
Read more »

My students are so enthusiastic about playing their instruments and creating great music. They have gotten very creative with ways to create snare drum stands. They would feel so empowered if they were able to play on equipment that is adjustable and sturdy.

Also, I have many students who are aching to play Tuba or Euphonium, but we do not have any at our school. It would be so wonderful if these students could play these instruments. They are too expensive for the students to rent, but they make a huge difference in the band's sound.

My students are discovering talents they never knew they had. Please donate an instrument or money TODAY!Read more »

Scottsdale Country Day School provides a broad and balanced curriculum in small class sizes. SCDS provides a friendly and caring school environment in which pupils thrive and are valued for their individual contribution to the school community. Students are given every assistance and encouragement to reach their potential, discover talents through participation and contribution, and take responsibility for their progress. Read more »

My students are from lower income families such as refugees that aren't able to afford even $20 a month for an instrument let alone an $8 book. Please help with anything you can. These students really deserve a chance to play an instrument. Wouldn't you want a chance to play. I have students that really want to learn and we don't have the instruments. Please, please, please we need cymbals very desperately. We have no crash cymbals or stands and the hi hats are so flimsy and bent it is ridiculous not to mention the hi hat stand itself must be from the 50's. It's rally bad. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.Read more »

We are a Title 1 school in a very poor area. Every day I see students coming to class with worn out clothes and holes in their sneakers. I tried to do an activity with my classes about "All I Want for Christmas", and was brought to tears when several students came to me at the end of the day, and said that their parents had told them that they could not afford presents this Christmas. Many of my students come from foster homes, and many more come from home situations that are very diffucult. I get lots of hugs every day, and I have a feeling that part of the reason is the lack of hugs and encouragement they receive at home. By the time these students reach middle school age, many of them have lost much of their hope. I have so many students whose behavior is less than acceptable, and I know that much of that comes from the hardships they go through at home. However, you should see their face light up when we get to play percussion. I only have a few tattered hand drums, some tamborines and some rhythm sticks, but they love it. I showed all of my classes a video of STOMP, and even their classroom teachers said it was all they could talk about for days. We have done the body percussion thing, and are currently learning a piece I wrote myself using cardboard boxes and Home Depot buckets, but I yearn to give them so much more. So many of them have so much potential!

A part of their hopelessness comes from the almost certain fact that they will not go to college. Even the students who excell academically would have a very hard time affording tuition at a community college or the transportation to get there. Music is an amazing avenue for these students. With the right skills they could easily earn music scholarships, and a passage to an education they would otherwise miss out on. I would love to help prepare them to make it into the high school drumline, but right now I don't even have a pair of actual drumsticks, and zero budget for any instruments. I have purchased sticks in the past out of my own pocket, and was happy to do so, but I am unable to afford such things now, and it breaks my heart that one of the only things that brings a smile to these kid's faces is so limited due to our lack of materials. Drumpads on stands and sticks would be such a huge step in a great direction. I can't wait to see how far my kids will go! Please help them get there! Donate TODAY :)Read more »