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Shawn Gonzalez

Blues Rock Titan Surpasses $500,000 Goal for Musicians in Need

In just over one year, Joe Bonamassa and the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation have exceeded expectations for their fundraising goals, by bringing in $500,000 to benefit their Fueling Musicians Program. The initiative provides immediate $1,500 cash payments to musicians to help them get back on the road after being sidelined for over a year following the COVID-19 touring halt. The Keeping The Blues Alive 2nd annual Stream-A-Thon, hosted by Bonamassa, was a spectacular display of musicianship and featured more than 3 1/2 hours of music performances from over 35 talented musicians including some of Joe’s legendary friends and rising stars. Fans in more than 42 countries tuned in to watch the line up which included Toto, Dion, Ana Popovic, Warren Haynes, Bobby Rush, Joanna Connor, Jared James Nichols, Emily Wolfe, and many more. To read the full article by Michael Oshust of Rock Source Magazine, click here!

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May 10, 2021

KTBA Donates Method Books in Bunkie, Louisiana

KTBA Donates Instrumental Method Books to Band Program Method Book Madness in Bunkie, Louisiana BUNKIE, LA – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive donated instrumental method books to the band students at Bunkie Magnet High School! About the Students “My students are some of the most fun, ambitious, creative, and thoughtful kiddos I’ve ever worked with!” Mrs. Reppond exclaims. Mrs. Megan Reppond is the Band Director at Bunkie High School. “Though our school district is the lowest-funded districts in the state, we are the number one district in growth! This means our students are eager to learn and better themselves every day.” Bunkie High School is now a ‘B’ rated school! In spite of the challenges that many of the students face at home, they still manage to thrive and seek excellence during music class. Mrs. Reppond was beaming. “These kids are so enlivened by what they get to do in band and they are willing to go the extra mile to help each other and support their program. They are truly something special,” she says. About the Project In order to match the skill level of all the students, Mrs. Reppond decided that she needed to expand her repertoire. However, with limited funding available, she needed to reach out for help. “This past year, I felt a little bad for my high schoolers because our method books were too easy for some and too difficult for the beginners in the same class,” Reppond explains. “Now, we have enough advanced high schoolers that we can begin to start learning from a more challenging book, so I know they will be thrilled to move forward a little faster!” The Essentials for Band books will guide students through learning to play more advanced rhythms, new key signatures, more technical studies, and expand their range. These books are a staple for many music classes – not just at Bunkie High School. The books are the second compilation in the series which builds upon previously taught concepts from the first book. “I think the structure of the Essential Elements 2000 books is outstanding, and I know that my students will appreciate them more once they feel the challenge of something more rigorous. I am hoping they find [the content challenging] in these new editions. Click here to visit Mrs. Reppond’s Band Page Attitude of Gratitude Eager to express her gratitude, Mrs. Reppond sent this note: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you for your generous donations! This project got funded with only TWO donations, which is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much to those who donated and made this possible. My more advanced students will be thrilled to have some new challenges, and this will be especially helpful when planning for quizzes or sight reading activities. With gratitude, Mrs. Reppond Every week, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donates to a school in need of music supplies, instruments, sheet music and more! To help us fund next week’s project, please click here to make a donation: CLICK HERE

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April 13, 2021

KTBA Diversifies Music Library for Arts Magnet in Charlotte, NC

CHARLOTTE, NC – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive donated new choral literature to the choral program at Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC! “My students are quite unique as they have had to audition to attend our school of the arts,” says Ms. Stephanie Madsen. “They are creative and imaginative, from all walks of life and economic backgrounds. Using a hands-on approach and “learning by doing,” students are taught the arts by both full-time professional teachers certified in their arts disciplines and area and national professionals who teach master classes throughout the academic year.” Ms. Madsen’s students love learning music, singing, and sharing the love of music with their audience. Most students who come into the chorus stay in the program from middle through high school. “Our music library is replete with titles that have, at various times, been extremely helpful for students in the past,” she explains.  “However, we sometimes lack works that tell different stories or are written with modern singers in mind. Any chance we can find to expand our perception of the world is of tremendous benefit to our students and our community. With these materials, we’ll be able to further expand our music library to include pieces that are both new and tailored to the needs of our program. The works we are seeking will be supportive of young voices and minds, and provide opportunities to gain new insight into our world.” More than one-third of students come from low-income households.  Thanks to Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to fund Ms. Madsen’s project by sending three brand new titles including: “Kyrie”: 3-Part composed by James E. Green, “In Meeting We Are Blessed” SATB a capella composed by Troy D. Robertson, and “Will You Teach Me?” 3-Part Treble composed by Allen Pote. Each title will supply thirty (30) copies to the music program – an expensive that they would not have been able to cover this year.  Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! You can also check out our SUBMISSIONS page; make sure to send it to your local music teachers if you have a specific project in mind. Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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March 2, 2020

Percussion & Brass Instruments Donated to Albany School

ALBANY, WI – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated a brand new trumpet and percussion instruments to students at Albany School in Albany, Wisconsin.  Mrs. Windmoeller-Schmit teaches Instrumental Music for the Albany School District. “Our Band Program is growing,” Mrs. Windmoeller-Schmit says. “Our kids are motivated, hardworking and talented. They have a great attitude and positive teamwork. They are willing to try new things and have been so easy to work with my first year here at this school. Their families support and help the students so the program and students are growing leaps and bounds in their musical abilities! Not every student is able to afford a quality instrument though so we are asking for a few instruments to get more students playing.” She also says that because of the worn materials, students experience splinters.  “Help me get instruments in students’ hands. We are looking to provide more students with instruments that may not have the capability to afford an instrument on their own. These instruments will be given out for years to come to any student who may need it. A quality trumpet can last many years and we just don’t have enough to keep up with the requests. Percussionists don’t typically buy their own instruments but they are an important part of the process. We have many instruments but some are falling apart and could use replacing. We would like more quality instruments to add so we can play a wider variety of music.” By adding new trumpets, the brass section will have the flexibility to expand their instrumentation and choose more challenging literature.  The project aligns with our mission at Keeping the Blues Alive by supporting music programs in low-income areas.  Mrs. Schmit expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you so much for choosing to help our small district with new instruments! They will be put to good use for years to come. This spring the wood castanets will even be featured in our junior high piece called Danza Del Fuego. Thank you for making this a memorable experience for our kids. With gratitude, Mrs. Windmoeller-Schmit Thanks to Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, the instruments will be donated to Albany School.  This would be the 461st project that KTBA has funded since we started working with Donors Choose. Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! You can also check out our SUBMISSIONS page; make sure to send it to your local music teachers if you have a specific project in mind. Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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February 26, 2020

KTBA Donates Carl Orff Xylophone to Elementary School

LEBANON, MO – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated a new Series 1600 Orff Xylophone to the music program at Maplecrest Elementary School in Lebanon, Missouri! “I teach 2nd and 3rd grade music in the town of Lebanon, Missouri,” says Mrs. Askew. “My building is full of about 700 kids that fill my classroom every week. Many of my students have very few musical opportunities at home, so the thought of playing real instruments in music class causes them to burst with excitement every week! I teach some of the kindest and most creative souls I’ve ever met, and they make me proud every single day. I hope to be able to use this project to give my students the quality of instruments that they deserve to play, and to foster the intense creativity and passion for learning that already exists inside of them.” At this age in the students’ lives, freedom of self-expression is crucial to their development. In addition to the standard difficulties surrounding today’s music programs in schools, more than half of the students come from low-income households. “Using better quality instruments, I can teach students how to create their own music. Higher quality Orff instruments (a xylophone) will allow my students to feel proud of their musical accomplishments. They can explore creative music composition, learn to read music, and learn to play/perform together as a team.  Using these instruments, I hope to give each student musical memories that will last a lifetime. I want them to know that ANYBODY can be a good musician, and I’ll teach them that creativity is just about taking risks and being willing to try. Music class is so much more than a break for the normal teachers – it’s about developing the gifts and talents that are in every student and showing them that they can be creative, too,” she adds. Thanks to the generosity of music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive successfully funded their project and the xylophone will be delivered soon! Mrs. Askew expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., I am so excited to be the recipient of this generous donation, and I can’t wait to show my students what your organization has given us! I know that they will be just as excited as I am! What you’re doing is making a huge difference in the lives of kids all over the nation. Many of the kids at my school live in such deep poverty that their stories would break your heart. Your funding for this instrument helps show them that they are worthy of having nice things. I know that this will give them musical memories to last a lifetime! Also – we have just begun our jazz and blues unit. What an awesome coincidence! With gratitude, Mrs. Askew Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! You can also check out our SUBMISSIONS page; make sure to send it to your local music teachers if you have a specific project in mind. Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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February 17, 2020

KTBA Sends Supplies to Buffalo, NY Music Program

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation has supplied students at P.S. 207 Lafayette International High School with two new Casio keyboards, an acoustic guitar, and a classroom set of headphones for private practice! The impact of the keyboards is felt by hundreds of students who come into class searching for outlets for self-expression, esteem, and accomplishment. They felt so motivated to make changes in the music classroom that they teamed up to be advocates for their own cause and benefit. By taking matters in to their own hands, they showed determination and assertiveness. Mr. Silvis’ sheds some light on their commitment.  “Students in my advisory class interviewed teachers, researched items, made budgets, and wrote proposals to complete this application as a service project for other teachers around my school,” says Mr. Jason Silvis. These are their words: Dear Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Our school represents diversity. We are refugees and immigrants from all over the world. We are all bilingual and there are over 19 languages spoken at our school. We are all English learners and receive free lunches. What makes [us] special is that although we come from tough backgrounds, we work extremely hard to overcome the challenges to be successful in this country. Our students really need instruments because there are a lot of students, and we don’t have enough instruments for everyone. Music class is so big and our teacher wants everyone to participate. There are about 200 students who will benefit from these materials.  We would like to get headphones to listen to music.  Also, we would like to get Casio keyboards for students so we can play together and we would also like a guitar because many students want to learn how to play guitar. Finally, we need pencils for students that don’t have pencils. Our students really like music class. Please help us get those materials so we can learn more about music and about expressing ourselves. -Students of P.S. 207 Thanks to the generosity of Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, we were able to successfully fund Mr. Silvis and his students’ project.  Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you so much for funding our project. This will allow our music teacher to engage more students and teach guitar! Her students will be so excited, and my students who wrote the proposal will be so excited as well. Thank you for taking your time and your donations to help us! With gratitude, Mr. Silvis Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage.  In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause!  You can also check out our SUBMISSIONS page; make sure to send it to your local music teachers if you have a specific project in mind. Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!  

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February 14, 2020

KTBA Donates Two (2) Pianos to High School Music Program

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated two (2) brand new Yamaha P-45LXB Digital Pianos to the music program at Milwaukee School of the Arts! “My students focus on piano practice for 1 hour every day in our keyboard classroom preparing for performances and juries,” says Mr. Heinzel. “They are very dedicated to improving their skill set at the piano and inspire each other through their creativity and hard work. Some of them are very good at reading while others excel at [improvisation] and composing.” Thanks to advances in technology over the last decade, more schools are beginning to find better and safer ways to allow collaboration amongst these young, hard-working performers. “One student wrote a composition that we shared with a piano student in Taiwan. The piano student in Taiwan plans to learn the piece and submit a recording of it back to us.” According to Mr. Heinzel’s data, nearly all of the students come from low-income households. By equipping the classroom with more pianos, the students will have additional practice time for collaborations as well as their own juries and competitions. “Students will have the opportunity to prepare for recitals, juries and other performances by practicing piano 1 hour every day. Upcoming Events include a “paint and play” recital in November, a formal recital at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in May, and WSMA in March,” Mr. Heinzel adds. “Piano students also prepare jury accomplishments at the end of each term when the piano students accompany orchestra students on their solos. This gives piano students the opportunity to work individually, together with other musicians and receive coaching from professional musicians. Keyboards are a preferred medium for practicing instead of acoustic pianos since the keyboards don’t need to be tuned. Also students wear headphones while practicing thereby not disturbing other students who are practicing.” The Yamaha P-45LXB is a great classroom piano because it is full sized, weighted, and has the appropriate headphone jacks for private practice.  Thanks to Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to fund the two keyboards for Mr. Heinzel’s classroom.  Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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February 4, 2020

KTBA is Drumming Up Success in Texas

SAN JUAN, TEXAS – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated new practice pads and plenty of drumsticks for the young students interested in learning percussion methods at John Doedyns Elementary School!  JDES is located just above the Mexican border, west of Brownsville, TX.  “Every child deserves the opportunity to be given the materials to be successful regardless of how much their parents make or in what area they are growing up in,” says Ms. Arevalo. Ms. Arevalo teaches music at the elementary school.  “Our county is one of the poorest counties in Texas and most of our students live in a low economic household. Despite all of these challenges, our students come in ready to learn and with a positive attitude. They love to be creative and show off their talents. They just need the right materials to make sure they are as successful as they can be.” Ms. Arevalo’s students were very much looking forward to having a musical instrument – a skill set and the relevant materials to call their own.  These students have a wonderful and insatiable desire to learn, grow, and experience music in all forms.  “A well-rounded student needs many opportunities to explore and cultivate a love for the arts,” says Ms. Arevalo. “Students will learn to play a minimum of 5-7 songs and be able to play along with accompaniment. Giving students an opportunity like this should not be hampered by social or economic hardships. It is my hope that this may plant a seed that will continue to grow throughout their lives. Students would perform on the buckets for the younger classes to showcase their skills and encourage the younger students. My students will gain a sense of accomplishment and pride by performing to the best of their abilities!” Thanks to the donations from Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated all the percussion pads and sticks necessary to take their class to the next level.  Ms. Arevalo expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., I’m grateful for your donation that will allow my students to continue playing and learning. I greatly appreciate this donation. Having these items in my classroom will provide a great learning experience and I can not wait to see my students thriving in something they love, now that resources are available. With gratitude, Ms. Arevalo Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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January 31, 2020

KTBA Donates Classroom Set of Guitars in Youngstown, OH

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated ten (10) brand new starter guitars to the music students at Stambaugh Charter Academy! “I am excited to be starting a strings program at my school,” Ms. Haldi explains. “Most of my students have not had the opportunity to play an instrument nor can their families afford one for home. They are hard-working and eager to be able to play instruments. The school provided some of the guitars for the students, but it is not enough for everyone that would like to sign up or have already signed up to fit class size.” Every donation counts – both financially and in-kind – in making students successful and being able to have the opportunity to play an instrument for the first time. One of the most direct ways to pay it forward is to make a donation to the General Fund and watch it work! “I am very excited and grateful to have the privilege of working with these young and bright individuals every day. [However], I have a lot of students who are eager to play instruments. The school has helped out a lot, but the budget simply is not big enough to cover the cost of enough instruments for all the students who would like to participate in music class,” Haldi says. “Most of my students have never had the opportunity to play a musical instrument before. This would be an amazing investment in my classroom for this year and many years in the future for the strings program at my school. I cannot wait to see how much progress and love for music that they would have if given to opportunity to play these instruments.” Thanks to Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive was able to send Stambaugh Charter ten (10) brand new guitars that they can rotate for the rest of the school year. Ms. Haldi expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you so much for supporting my classroom! My students are going to be super excited that they will no longer have to wait to play or share instruments. I will now have enough guitars for every student in my class to participate! I cannot wait to share this amazing new with them. I am very grateful for everyone who donated that made this possible for my classroom. This is their first year having the oppurtunity to learn and play instruments. With gratitude, Ms. Haldi Keeping the Blues Alive is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. In order to keep the ball rolling, we appreciate your donations to keep music education funding alive in schools across the country. If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible and go to a GREAT cause! Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!

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January 24, 2020

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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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