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Shawn Gonzalez

KTBA Takes a Mega-Bite for Music Ed Pilot Program

frankenmuth, mi  – Thank to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation support this pilot program for music technology! “As a 30 year veteran teacher, I feel that in order to be as fresh as my students, as knowledgeable as a college graduate, and as dynamic as I personally expect myself to be, then I need to stay in-tune with not only education as a whole, but the ever-changing world of technology.” These were the words from music teacher, Mrs. Putnam of List Elementary School as she prepares for a big conference in Boyne City! “I am a K-4 grade music teacher and a high school vocal music director. I see over 300 students a day. My average classrooms have around 40 students, but are combined to perform musical performances. My classroom is dynamic and ever-changing as I may teach a lesson which involves students singing, playing Orff instruments, and moving in a dance or game, all at the same time. My students love music class, and are highly energized by the daily exposure.” Mrs. Putnam’s lessons are taught by combining literature, art, dance, and technology. As music advocates and supports of the STEM to STEAM movement, we were particularly drawn to this project as it incorporated so many subjects of the core curriculum into its success!  Teachers are working together to combine their resources and curricula to cater to the music and arts programs that are slowly fading. This funded project will stimulate creativity, collaboration, and enthusiasm into the classroom – something that is always necessary for students to grow. Thanks to KTBA funding and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mrs. Putnam will be attending the Boyne City Technology Conference on June 19, 2015. This conference costs $40 and in order to stay within the limits of this project she will pay this portion on her own. The fine arts have great opportunities to transition the every-day classroom into a vital and growing class of exploration, knowledge and creativity. Mrs. Putnam wishes to continue this learning, and be able to implement it into the classroom so that it is a class that demonstrates the combination of singing, instruments, movement and technology. By learning how to implement musical apps into the classroom, she can put students into stations and assess individual and whole group growth using the combination of technology and musical knowledge. Students will be able to connect piano keyboards with online apps and learn music theory principles. With a fully funded project, Mrs. Putnam and her students will be set up for success in the music technology area! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, It is with my sincerest gratitude that I write thanking you for such a generous donation. I am humbled that people care so much about what I do in my classroom. I cannot fully express in words the excitement I feel about the opportunity that has been given me, and cannot wait to share the end results with you as I learn, explore and create with my students.This project will allow me to research and create dynamic lessons that will expand on my current knowledge by combining technology with a piano keyboard. I will have the opportunity to learn new strategies in music, and give me exposure to the most relevant and trendy topics that I can share with my students. I look forward to this new chapter in my career, and the professional development I will gain as a veteran teacher. Thank you for believing in me and supporting the fine arts in education. Our nation is great, because of visionary people like you that give our students opportunities to build a better tomorrow. With gratitude, Mrs. Putnam To fund next week’s project, click here!

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March 20, 2015

Bonamassa Fans Sponsor Title I Music Program

columbus, ga – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation was able to go into a middle school and help fund their music project for a new flute in their woodwind section! As we are all aware, playing a band instrument can open doors for many students, especially in rough areas. They are given an opportunity to perform for their peers, go on trips and excursions/contests, and show their pride to their family and friends. Mr. Claiborne explains: “This flute is a student-model flute that is perfect for the beginner or intermediate student. The flute will allow a student to learn how to use it in class, give performances, and practice everyday. Playing a flute will allow the student to learn to develop work ethic and discipline to practice a skill set.” Mr. Claiborne takes the time to teach the students how to take care of their instruments and how to prevent damage. “Additionally, I help them understand that pride comes after hard work and teamwork. I love to see the expressions on their faces after they have mastered their first few notes. The more instruments our school owns and loans to our students, the more students can participate in musical experiences.” Thanks to the donations form Joe Bonamassa fans, Keeping The Blues Alive successfully funded the project in a timely manner! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, I can’t fully express my joy, excitement, and thanks for your donation to my project. It is great to see that you share my vision for reaching children. In band, we use instruments to bring the notes off the page to life and to turn them into music.The flute that you have funded will enable a student to create and perform their own music, which will associate with the classroom lessons. In addition, it will add a needed variety to ensemble. I often tell my students everyone can’t play the trumpet or the drums. The flute will give them a worthy challenge!I hope to share with my students a broader spectrum of instrumentation. Thank you so much!With gratitude, Mr. Claiborne   This is just a small example of the kindness we have received from fans all over the world!   To help us fund next week’s project, click here!

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March 13, 2015

KTBA Funds Inaugural Music Program

newellton, la – Thanks to your donations this week, students in Newellton, LA will have the chance to experience their first music program in the little town of Tensas Parish. The students of Newellton Elementary School are vivacious individuals that animate the beautiful country-side of Newellton, Louisiana. They are very vocal about their needs and wants. They hunt, fish, and perpetually explore the world around them. The school they attend works very hard to mold their desire to grow.  Although the community does not have a lot of money or resources, the people come together to provide for themselves and their loved ones. It truly is beautiful to see people come together for a common good. Mr. Thomas explains, “I have learned so much in my short time here, and have been inspired to contribute to the development of the community. That is how powerful my students, the school they attend, and the community of which they are a part, are.” As a result of a donation request made by Mr. Thomas via DonorsChoose.org, he requested a classroom set of recorders in the key of C, complete with the lesson books and music stands they needed.  The goal was to start a beginners’ music program wherein they would be able to participate in structural music activities as well as grow as individual musicians despite the lack of project funding through the school’s current fiscal budget. “The students will learn the rudiments of musical notation and theory, putting to use their newly greater understanding of sound with a recorder.  By the end of the year, 4 young ladies and 9 young gentlemen will be able to play simple melodies on a recorder and identify basic musical notations,” Mr. Thomas adds. Recorders may not seem like much to the average person reading this, but musicians and educators know the importance of starting out with this program because it teaches many fundamentals of music notation, breath control, discipline, and ensemble techniques at an affordable cost.  The recorders used in most 3rd grade classrooms are a gateway program to introduce students to the joys of music and camaraderie amongst their peers – catapulting their other studies as well as attendance.  These factors snowball into higher graduation rates, attention spans, and peer relationship building as the students grow older. Thanks to the donations raised, thirteen students will get to take part in music lessons and ensemble rehearsals at Newellton Elementary, and they are excited to begin as soon as possible. Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, We want to tell you thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Your donation will contribute to the development of minds, an exploration of world traditions, and provide an extra outlet for human expression.I am filled with joy to know that there are people around the world that think it is important to provide children with opportunities for creative exploration. These instruments will make a world of difference in the lives of these children. You are a part of this; and for it, I am eternally grateful. Thank you!With gratitude, Mr. Thomas Keeping The Blues Alive is a 501 c3 organization committed to funding music projects and scholarships all over the country.   If you would like to make a small donation to fund next week’s project, click here to begin!

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March 6, 2015

KTBA Donates Guitar Strings and Capos

malden, ma – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation donated guitar strings and capos at Linden School! These critically essential music supplies will be used to help students learn more songs in difficult keys, and of course, replace strings that have been worn or broken altogether. Mr. Gesualdo explains, “By the end of the school year I’d like my students to be able to play several songs on the guitar – songs that use both open strings and capos. It is amazing to see and hear kids making music!  The students in our school are active makers of music, but we have have little to no funding! The children never complain about what we don’t have and make the best of the situation.” Linden is a STEAM academy in an urban gateway city, and we need to build up the “A” for “Arts” in this STEAM school! If you are unfamiliar with our STEM to STEAM advocacy click here to learn more about incorporating “Arts” into the “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” curriculum. Due to budget constraints it is difficult for the school department to allocate any money to music and art classes in the city. As a result of the patronage and kindness of our donors, we funded this music project with the help of the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and DonorsChoose.org! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Thank you so much for your generosity! Your donations will make it possible for my students to explore the world of playing the guitar and the joy that playing an instrument provides. Replacement strings will help us to continue to use the guitars we have in our classroom and the donation of capos will make playing many songs a much more manageable task for many students. Your donations will impact approximately 500 students this year and many students in the school years to follow. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your kind donations. With gratitude, Ms. Gesualdo

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February 13, 2015

KTBA Donates Guitars To Music Program

Orlando, FL – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation donated new guitars to Freedom High School! Freedom is a high profile high school guitar program containing 180 students. Their guitar curriculum offers seven classes including four guitar ensembles, two beginning guitar classes and a guitar conservatory class for students wishing to go to college to become performers or teachers on guitar. It reminds us of the standard conservatory much like a Musicians Institute or similar, but for high school students.  We are all familiar with “Performing Arts Schools” in general, but the core curriculum offered at Freedom, describes much more than the name suggests. Mr Perez explains: “We are an “A” rated community high school that is home to over 3200 students. Though we have over 50% of our student population on the “Free & Reduced Meal Program”, that has not deterred our school from becoming an academic leader. Our guitar program is recognized in the international guitar community. Over the past several years our students and ensembles have performed three times at our All-State Music Conference and recently traveled to New York to perform in concert at an international guitar festival. All of our students in the guitar program care about becoming wonderful musicians and people. We possess a musical collectivism and positive outlook that allows us to grow and perform at a continuously high level. We had the deep privilege and educational opportunity to perform in concert with five international level classical guitarists over the past three years.” Freedom High School had a class set of 35 classical guitars that our students use. They were used seven times a day, 6-7 hours each day, 180 days a year. With the amount of use the guitars receive each day, their equipment wore down quickly. “We do not have enough in our budget to purchase new guitars to replace the older ones. There is a noticeable difference in sound and playing ability when my students are using newer guitars. From our beginners learning to play to our most advanced students and ensembles performing professional level material, having newer classical guitars will help them reach their musical and personal goals.” As a result of the fundraising from this past week, Keeping The Blues Alive was able to supply the school with five new guitars! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, On behalf of our Guitar Program, I would like to thank you and the generosity of your Foundation in supporting the music education of our 180+ students. It is very difficult to maintain our music instruments due heavy and daily use by our talented students. Your gift will allow our students to continue their musical journey and to keep discovering and creating the best music we can and to sustain our enriching music experiences.It is with your support that will remind my students to continue to “pay it forward” by volunteering their time and talents to others in our school and community! Again, thank your for supporting the musical education of our many students! It is deeply appreciated!With gratitude, Mr. Perez To make a donation to next week’s story, click here!   Thank you for helping us reach these 180+ students!  Let’s see what we can do this week!

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February 6, 2015

St Charles Elementary Receives Music Equipment

Thibobaux, L.A – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation made a wonderful donation to St. Charles Elementary music program! Mr. Chamberlain, the school’s music teacher was looking for a way to amplify his students’ music performances. Typically, in larger scaled performances, certain instruments such as the flute, for instance, can get “buried” in the band’s overall sound.  As a result, it has been proven necessary to have some sort of amplification system nearby.  The earlier that students learn about how to operate these amp systems, the more versatile their experience will be as they graduate and move on to bigger bands at the high school level.  The mics are also used for solo performances and speeches. Mr. Chamberlain’s fifth grade classroom consists of a beginning band.  Whereas a lot of students end up start in recorder, Chamberlain is starting his students off on another level. “I teach fifth grade beginning band at a small public school with limited funds in southeast Louisiana. Our school has pre-k through fifth grade and it has under three hundred wonderful, bright, eager students. We have dedicated, highly qualified teachers who love their jobs, and the students we get the privilege to teach. We also have great parental and community support with a common goal of going above and beyond to ensure the success of every student we teach.” With the new PA system, the band can strive for better sound quality and intonation as their sound fills up the room. Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, The students at our school and I thank you for supporting our project. We can’t wait to get our supplies in so that we can enjoy listening to music the way it was intended to sound, and create our own music that we can record and play back for both learning and enjoyment. Our annual talent show will also be enhanced by giving all of the students the opportunity to perform on stage with quality equipment which will enhance their confidence with public performance.With gratitude, Mr. Chamberlain

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January 16, 2015

Success Stories – Keys to Success: KTBA Sponsors After-School Keyboard Lab

Independence, M.O – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive started the year off well, by providing a keyboard pack for Benton Elementary School. Ms. Wehrman is sponsoring an after-school music class for the young students at her elementary school. “My students live in poverty with nearly a 90% free and reduced lunch rate. They do not have the ability to afford piano lessons. So many of them long to take lessons, but often turn away devastated when they discover there is a fee. My kids love music and would benefit greatly from taking this love to a higher level. Group piano lessons will give these students an opportunity they would ordinarily not receive.” The students will sign up on a first come, first serve basis for an after school club. This club will rotate quarterly to accommodate as many students as possible. The students will each have their own keyboard to practice on during the clubs with headphones so as to not interrupt other students while practicing. As the students learn and perform a song, either for the teacher or group as a whole, they will receive stickers showing they passed the song. The club will culminate in a recital showing graduation from the program. Students who show a continuing desire to learn can apply for a scholarship for continued lessons. “Donations will help my students have an opportunity that currently eludes them. These piano lessons will help train their brains to utilize both hemispheres at the same time, thus improving brain functions. These skills will transfer to other academic areas as well as encourage confidence in working towards a goal. The students will learn skills that will stay with them for life.” As a result of the donations received, her project was funded! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Today was our first day back to school after break, and this gift kicked off the new semester in a marvelous way for all of us.My students beg for piano lessons on a weekly basis, but their families simply cannot afford them. These resources will open a door to my students to have the opportunity to take group piano lessons for free in a safe, after-school environment. I can hardly wait for this club to begin, hopefully later this month!As you know, music helps build creativity and critical thinking for students. It can also provide structure to their lives and give them a goal to work to achieve. Your generosity will help my students today, tomorrow, and forever. With gratitude, Ms. Wehrman

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January 9, 2015

Success Stories – KTBA Funds Local Initiative for New Instruments!

Miramar, FL – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation made a powerful donation to Somerset Academy, allowing these students to purchase new instruments for their band program! Building a presence in the local community has always been a goal for us here at KTBA, and this opportunity allowed us to sow a seed into an already growing music program. Ms. Jackson, the school’s band director, describes her involvement with the band, and tell us about the materials in question: “My students range between the ages of 12-18. I have over eighty students in the band, which is one in eight students for the whole school. I also teach over eighty students for the Chorus program. I started with a total of fifteen students, and in less than four years have built this entire music department through sheer determination. I’m always excited to go to school each day to inspire the students to not only be amazing musicians, but to be amazing people in life.”   As the budgets have diminished for music and arts programs over the past decade in the U.S., teachers struggle to keep up with the demand for more instruments and materials to keep their curriculum growing.  This causes the teachers to look elsewhere for funding of these programs, and that is where Keeping The Blues Alive can step in. Ms. Jackson, requesting a standard Bb tuba, a pair of orchestral cymbals, and a standard gong set, is not a lofty request for a band program of her size and stature.  Using the funds available through donors like yourselves, KTBA purchased these items through DonorsChoose.org.  Now Ms. Jackson can look forward to all of her instrumentation being covered in the upcoming concerts, and the students can have an additional sense of pride for the upcoming semester as they see more and more being poured into their music program. Ms. Jackson expresses her gratitude to the donors involved! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, I cannot express my full gratitude in providing funds for our resources, but this thank you note is just a start. It is with humble thanks and praise for your generosity. Please know that we will utilize the needed items for our classroom use and use outside of the classroom for special performances. My students are amazing kids who have worked really hard to build a music program from scratch. It is a joy to see their love for performance and musicianship grow throughout my time with them. They are some of the most talented students I have ever worked with. These resources will provide a great need for our program.Thank you once again for your thoughtful gift. With gratitude, Ms. Jackson One of Ms. Jackson’s students will be particularly thrilled to hear this great news!  A young man wanted to participate in the band program so much, that he learned how to play the baritone (a euphonium instrument) in an effort to contribute to the low end of the band’s sound.  He will be the first student in mind when the tuna arrives, and we are certain that Ms. Jackson and her band class will have some exciting concerts to boast from this experience. Happy New Year!  We are off to a great start!  

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January 2, 2015

Donation of the Week

Drum Hero Joe Tomino Supports Local Music Program cleveland, oh –  One hustle-and-bustle type of morning, I was getting ready to head into the office when I received a phone call on my cell. It was Mr. Joe Tomino – drummer of Hasidic Rapper Matisyahu and the Brooklyn-born powerhouse, Dub Trio. After another successful year of touring and recording, Mr. Tomino was extremely adamant about making a donation to Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation. “Tell me more about this organization – I have seen your posts and read your stories and I have been looking to make a charitable contribution this year.  Perhaps there’s something we can do together.” This, to my knowledge of him, was the same selfless kind of mentality that he shows towards music and rhythm.  If you have never seen him perform, then you cannot understand how ruthlessly tasteful his groove is, and the musical maturity he brings to any band or studio recording. Tomino, a native of Cleveland, wanted to invest in a school in his local area.  This led us to Citizens Academy East, a free K-5 charter school founded just 4 years ago as a result of the overwhelmingly positive reviews from its first school founded only in 1999.  Since then, it has become one of the top-performing elementary schools in Ohio. Mrs. Estell, director of music at the academy, had always aimed to provide her students with the best chance to succeed not only in music, but also in their studies. “I work at an elementary school, housing K-4 students in an urban area. The students at my school are high needs, socially, financially and educationally. Our school is wonderful at providing our students with a safe and fulfilling educational environment that encompasses a wide variety of learning styles including the arts. My intent is for the students to use their fine arts skills of text analysis and apply it in a literacy setting.” Music notation is one of the fundamental building blocks of music education.  A musician who can read music accurately and translate it into a skilled performance, is considered to be accomplished.  Mrs. Estell wishes to take those music notation lessons and teach students how to play percussion instruments in her classroom. “With the new common core standards, studying, identifying and comprehension of text is very important, Estell explains. “Music notation is considered a form of text. Using the various rhythm instruments I’ve asked for, students K-4 will be exploring musical text in a hands-on way.” Together with KTBA, Mr. Tomino made a donation to help Mrs. Estell acquire the instruments she was looking for.  A shipment of tom toms, assorted shakers, and hand drums will arrive before the holiday.  We know that next semester will be especially unique for Mrs. Estell and those kids.  She sends her gratitude: [quote align=”center” color=”#999999″]Thank you all so much for your generous donations to my students! I cannot wait to share the wonderful news with them! With your giving hearts, I can add more fantastic activities to the music curriculum at my school. With the winter break coming up I can plan out some great lessons with all the new materials coming our way. I cannot wait to share the photographs of excited, loving and thankful students making music with your kind gifts. Thank you again and have the happiest of holidays! With gratitude, Mrs. Estell[/quote] As the holiday season approaches, we are constantly bombarded with sales ads for buying gifts for our friends and families.  However, this Christmas, why not invest in our children’s education?  They really are our future!  The next generation will be the ones taking care of us when we grow old, making decisions on behalf of our country and solving our country’s greatest challenges. By investing in music education, students have the opportunity to exercise creativity and free thinking with boundaries.  That is why the arts are so important.  We cannot let arts and music programs fade, when they provide such positive outcomes for the kids involved. We’d like to send a special thank you to Joe Tomino for his donation and we wish him all the best in the new year and beyond as he travels the world! To learn all about Joe, visit his website at JoeTomino.com or check out one of our favorite articles on the Sabian website here: http://www.sabian.com/es/article/who-the-heck-is-joe-tomino  

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December 18, 2014

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Our mission is to conserve the art of music in schools by funding projects, scholarships, and grants that preserve music education for the next generation. Every week, we donate to a school in need of instruments, sheet music, supplies and more in the effort to uphold the rich culture and history of the Blues as a true American art form.

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