KTBA Donates Three (3) New Trumpets to Junior High Music Program

School Name – Monument Academy Public Charter School

Teacher Name: Mr. Pearsall

WASHINGOTN, D.C. – Thanks to your donations, KTBA donated 3 new trumpets to the students at Monument Academy Public Charter School! The manufacturer, Etude, is known for producing quality student model instruments for beginners – including brass and woodwinds. The students are thrilled, eager, and ready to learn.

“As an educator, there are several things that I love about the students of my school,” Mr. Pearsall explains.

“The students at the school have a large amount of energy that they exude throughout the school day. I believe expressing themselves using music will help and give students another outlet to release any extra energy or emotions.

Students weren’t always aware of instruments that are in the world and can be played. Once they were introduced to different videos and pictures of the instruments they could possibly play, the students started naming which instruments they’d play, if available. The students are special because they have created a tenacious bond among themselves that you don’t typically see in kids their age. The bond has been created between the students from their daily living; however, the bond can only get stronger as the young students learn to play different musical instruments together.”

Many projects are sent to Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation and thousands more through DonorsChoose.org. Each music project presents its own challenges and fundraising goals to meet. Considering the fact that nearly all of the students enrolled at Monument Academy come from low-income households, it proved to be a daunting task to fundraise $1,000 from the local community. The benefits were obvious, but Mr. Pearsall sought some help.

“The trumpets that can be gained from this project can help [these] students in many different ways,” Mr. Pearsall says.

“Students will have the opportunity to work with different instruments that they have never even seen in person. Several students have heard instruments within a concert band, but never had the opportunity to put the sound of an instrument with the physical form of the instrument.”

Sadly, the kids were very upset that there weren’t enough instruments for them to use for practice and performances. They didn’t see the value in studying music without the proper tools. We sure couldn’t blame them!

“Many of the school’s students learn through hands-on activities. Instruments in the classroom will help keep students engaged,” Pearsall adds. “The students feel as though people outside of the school don’t believe in their abilities to be great. Instruments will give the students of this young generation something to believe in for themselves, as well as give them hope that people outside the school believe in them as well. In conclusion, students have expressed wanting to learn music. However, students feel as though with their lack of experience knowing instruments, they can’t apply themselves in the classroom.

Instruments will heighten morale within the students to make them want to get more involved in the classroom. Along with the morale, students will have something to believe in
as far as their education is concerned.”

Thanks to the generosity of Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like YOU, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to fund Mr. Pearsall’s music project and donated three (3) new trumpets to the band program!

Mr. Pearsall expresses his gratitude:

Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc.,

I am extremely humbled by the generosity of the organization. Thank you very much for the time that was taken to deem the project worthy of being funded. I am beyond excited for the students of my school. The students are definitely looking forward to being able to produce music on the items gathered. Again, thank you very much.

With gratitude,
Mr. Pearsall

Every week, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more! Your donation helps us to keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage.

If you would like to help us fund next week’s project, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible!

Thank you for keeping music education in schools!

Shawn Hagood for Keeping the Blues Alive