2008 Grant Proposal Details

More Instruments to Lend   District 4J

Total: $4000

Description:  Students taking up music can borrow from 4J’s “library of instruments, ” but only if there are enough instruments in good repair to go around. This can be a challenge for students who find themselves in band or orchestra class for the first time in their life. We want to schools to acquire enough instruments and keep them in fine enough shape that a student can choose the instrument that’s right for him – and succeed.

Why is this important?  The human brain responds well to listening to music. More satisfying is to sing or play an instrument. Young children often have the chance to do both, using drums, recorders or other on-pitch instruments provided by the school. Later, in middle and high school, the instruments they play are more versatile but more prone to damage. The diminished (and even embarrassing) tone of a compromised instrument is the last thing a teenager needs as an impediment to learning.

Who will be served?  All students are eligible to take instrumental music, space permitting, and hundreds of them do every term.

How will this be evaluated?  Bands will be more in tune, for starters, and the increased satisfaction of playing an instrument of choice (not of chance) will increase enrollment and persistence in classes.

Does this build on existing programs?  We do our best to keep lending instruments in good shape. But it’s the nature of the universe that things wear down ... and our repair budgets have a hard time keeping up. Our aim is to give young adults a new life skill (have you heard the "One More Time Marching Band" or "Samba Ja" perform here in Eugene?) and perhaps even interest students in continuing on to advanced orchestras during their school years.

Budget:  All to instruments and their maintenance, including replacement parts.

Proposal #:  121