KTBA Weekly Donation Archives - Page 11 of 17

KTBA Weekly Donation

Donation of the Week

KTBA Expands Elementary String Program dallas, tx – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated nine (9) new youth-sied string instruments to Preston Hollow Elementary School! At Preston Hollow, students in Ms. Woodring’s orchestra meet in a portable on the far side of the playground in the afternoon. On average, 15-20 students are eager for her class. Already in her third year, Ms. Woodring has seen these students grow – not just musically but physically as well! Ms. Woodring describes her setup at the school – “Currently 35 fourth graders are enrolled in strings representing 66% of the entire grade. Being in strings is pretty much the “cool” thing to do! While the fourth graders are working on basics of position and technique using simple folk songs, the fifth graders are preparing for a program [this month] where they will perform folk songs from different countries in [different] parts. Currently there is a push to extend the program to the lower grades!” The beauty of teaching strings, according to Woodring, is that the orchestral instruments are available in different sizes. “Whereas our current fourth and fifth graders are using 1/2, 3/4 and full sized instruments, these sizes are simply too large for the little ones. In order to offer strings to grades 1, 2, and 3, we will need instruments in smaller sizes – namely 1/8 and 1/4 size violins, violas and cellos. We are in the process of generating an interest survey of the lower grades to determine how many instruments will be needed but given the interest in the upper grades we are estimating that even if 25% of the parents sign up we will need a minimum of 10 instruments per grade or 30 instruments to start. The request for 8 violins and one cello would be a terrific start, even if students have to share the instruments to get started in the 2015-2016 school year. Classes would meet twice a week and would predominantly follow the Suzuki format for early string instruction (for which I am trained).” As a result of the donation drives of the past week, Keeping the Blues Alive helped Ms. Woodring reach her goal of providing nine (9) new size-fitted string outfits for her classroom! 9 students will have instruments that fit, which will allow them to grow at their own pace and better utilize their new skills. I’m speechless! It’s been less than a week since I posted this at the recommendation of a very eager parent. Thank you SO MUCH! Preston Hollow Elementary School thanks you. Principal Brandt thanks you. Parent Rackel Patel thanks you. We will keep you posted on the purchase and implementation of these instruments!

November 7, 2014

Donation of the Week

KTBA Donates MIDI Keyboard to EAST Initiative maumelle, ar – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive made a donation to Maumelle High School! As a part of their Environmental And Spatial Technology (or EAST for short) initiative, this high school class needed a midi controller for their music program. During EAST class students are responsible for creating their own learning experiences. Students work on school and community based projects. The focus of these projects is to improve and enhance the school and community. As KTBA usually advocates, we support projects that enhance the quality of life in the community as well as music projects that promote creativity. Music is a great way to practice creativity and improvisation! Maumelle High School has a diverse student population with many different personalities. The student body students come from various ethnic backgrounds. Some of the students are bussed in from other areas of the county. In addition, they have had problems with student behavior. Many of these students are not interested in learning; therefore, not interested in their future careers. We wanted to find a project that will motivate these students to become more active in learning and their future. Mrs. Leidigh adds, “My EAST class at Maumelle High School is need of an M-audio Key Studio 25 USB MIDI Keyboard. There are numerous students interested in creating music through technology. We have FL Studios and Garage Band, but we want to take our music to the next level. A keyboard would help us to augment and advance our technological musical skills. Plus, the quality of our finished product would be on a more professional level. Additionally, our classmates are segregated by the type of music they listen to. So we want to make a project where we make a mix of all genres of music and get everyone to come together as a school. We need to become one big student body that appreciates all genres of music!” Thanks to the donations of music lovers and fans from all over the country, we were able to fund Mrs. Leidigh’s music project! It is impossible to fully express my joy, excitement, and thanks for your donation to our project. It is encouraging to see organizations that are willing to donate funds to help public school students augment their learning experience in a nontraditional method. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see my students creating and composing music with their keyboard. With gratitude, Mrs. Leidigh To make a donation to next week’s project, click here!

October 31, 2014

Donation of the Week

compton, ca – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive donated new alto saxophone reeds to their band program! Compton, CA, one of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County, is largely known for its consistent crime rates and social unrest. In fact, it has become so frequent, that LA Times has their own crime-ticker so to speak. Just in the past week, Compton is responsible for almost 50 different cases of robbery, assault and more. For many children, school is a safe-haven, a place of learning, sure – but an environment where the receive other mental stimulation besides the every day pressures of their community. “Most of my students come from a low socioeconomic background in an area infected with gangs and drugs. Many of my students, most poor, tell me that band is the reason they stay in school,” Mr. Lizarde adds. As the benefits of quality music education continue to pry at the financial budgets and the suits guarding them, Roosevelt Middle School puts forth the effort to keep a good thing going. “We are requesting reeds for my students. These resources will allow me to keep kids equipped with fresh, quality reeds that are necessary for them to perform their best. If we do not supply the reeds, students end up playing with chipped, broken, or overly-worn reeds that fail to make a quality tone and discourage students in their practice. Without a music store in their neighborhood, students that could afford the reeds would not have the ability to travel to purchase them. Your donation would make sure that every student that needs a reed would have one.” After we successfully funded the project along with Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, Mr. Lizarde left us a few words: 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. The saxophone reeds that you have funded will enable more students to participate in parades and show case their hidden talents.Your donation is most definitely helpful and will go to extremely good use, there’s no doubt about that. Please know we won’t forget your kind gesture. Thank you from the bottom of our heart.With gratitude, Mr. Lizarde Schools like roosevelt Middle School are everywhere in our country. Students need to be challenged, encouraged and motivated, but their teachers are the ones who need it as well. Teachers spend more time with our children than we do, and they help shape the learning environment which kids grow and learn from. To help us fund another music project next week click here! Together we can take a stand for music education!

October 24, 2014

Donation of the Week

new york city, ny – Thanks to your donations, Keeping The Blues Alive donated to a wonderful project in New York City! For Mr. Anderson’s classroom, a typical day in might involve using different lengths of rope to symbolize audio waveforms and triggering drum samples by utilizing the conductive principles of fruit. Who does that? What’s the point? For years, America has tried to empower the education system to promote higher learning and to encourage abstract thinking. They want the smartest, brightest students to take the highest paying jobs and solve the world’s problems. However, as a country we have failed to legitimately exercise the creative areas of children’s minds. If you have ever seen the movie Apollo 13 you will remember the scene where Tom Hanks is communicating to the base in Houston, while genius scientists are trying to figure out ways to preserve oxygen while they are in space. I love this scene because you see a room full of scientists trying to be creative by thinking of ways to use science, math and technology to solve a very serious problem! With music and arts, students can access and exercise that part of their brains on a weekly basis. So in that same vein, as a new class this year at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, the Audio Science students have become pioneers in a sense. “They are creative and reflective. They are scientists, but are more Frankenstein than Einstein, pushing the boundaries of their imaginations to understand more about themselves and their places in this world. Some are musicians, some are technologists, but all come together in the classroom to create strange and beautiful things with sound and science. Also, all are committed to learning via STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) as they know what it takes to be successful in the 21st century,” Mr Anderson describes. By utilizing the Makey Makey invention kits in class, students will find their own ways to interface the analog and digital realms. Makey Makey kits are creative apparatus’ used to trigger events and create music instruments! Students will invent their own musical instruments, triggering sounds in various software via closing electric circuits with the Makey Makey. “Any conductive material will do: bananas, each other, electro-conductive paint, tin foil, old license plates, whatever. They will learn audio software mapping, principles of sampler technology, drafting and implementing planning resources and most importantly, they will have a lot of fun in the process.” Using the kits will: allow the students to work in groups to realize their inventions. improve their lives by exposing them to maker culture in the best possible way – a clearly defined objective with limitless possibilities. allow them to re-use the instruments over and over again throughout this year and for many years to come as students come up with different ways to utilize them. expand their perspective as to the definition of music and how it is realized. After funding the project, Mr. Anderson wrote us a note and students’ thank-you cared are en route! Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, I try to stress to my students that as audio scientists, we work individually on our creative projects, but we are also a part of a larger community – engineers, musicians, producers and technicians. We can tap into this valuable community as we collaborate, research, read articles and ask questions. I can’t wait to share with them that the community of supporters on DonorsChoose will be helping them realize their creative visions. This will help to further instill the importance of community in their creative lives and work. The tools you have funded will encourage high-level thinking in our class as we create musical instruments that have never been seen before. By tapping into “maker” culture, the students will acquire skills crucial to success in the 21st century. Thank you so much!! With gratitude, Mr. Anderson Music and arts are great ways to encourage creativity in the classroom and to help solve life’s greatest challenges. Students must be able to “think outside the box” and music allows students to improvise and use rules, just to bend them and create something new. We can all think of many ways where creativity is encouraged. “How do we kill cancer cells without harming the good cells? How do we protect our crops from global warming? With what kind of material can we build a house, but be immune to tornadoes? How can we sustain food without using harmful preservatives?” To solve these problems, we need creative thinkers and students who have experienced more than just the text books. If you would like to help us fund the next music and arts project, you know what to do!

October 17, 2014

Donation of the Week

KTBA Funds Piano Lab in Cleveland cleveland, oh – Thanks to your donations, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation donated to Citizens Academy! But this wasn’t an ordinary donation… We scored them a piano lab! That’s right – 8 keyboards for their music room! Students enrolled at Citizens Academy come from many different cultures and backgrounds. Most schools are like that – Citizens Academy is an urban, inner city charter school in Cleveland, Ohio and the communities are extremely varied. Parents struggle to find the perfect learning environment for their children – but often, it’s not just the schools that need work, sometimes it’s the teacher. However, with Citizens Academy, not only are music students in a productive learning environment, they also are blessed to have Mrs. Grossi for a teacher! “Our school’s vision is that all students will graduate from college and become productive and civically engaged members of society. Even though our students face many life obstacles, they do not let anything interfere with their education. Our school has earned the highest state ranking by the Ohio Department of Education as “Excellent with Distinction.” We were also selected by the United States Department of Education as a 2011 Blue Ribbon School. We are very proud of our accomplishments and work hard each day to set and accomplish even higher goals!” Mrs. Grossi explains. “By having a keyboard lab in the music classroom, each student will learn how to read music and will be able to apply that knowledge to playing the keyboard. The piano can be a basis for all instruments. Therefore gaining the skill of learning how to play it, will also lead to students being able to transfer this knowledge into learning to play other instruments in the future.” Having a hands-on playing experience is so important for the development of a student’s music education. Through this donation, these well-deserving students will have the opportunity and experience to shine in the arts! As Mrs. Grossi breaks down the fundamentals of music theory and piano technique, these students will grow not only in their path to music education, but also in their social skills amongst their peers. Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, I can not fully express the excitement, joy and gratitude I have towards your donations to our project. Thank you so much for sharing my vision of the importance of learning to play an instrument.The keyboards you have funded will give each student an opportunity to not only become an excellent musician, but develop a life-long love and appreciation for music. Thank you so much for your generous donation. I can not wait to share the news with my students and begin teaching the keyboard classes! With gratitude, Mrs. Grossi To make a donation to next week’s project click here

October 10, 2014

Donation of the Week

Ukeleles in Paradise! paradise, ca – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive made a donation to Ponderosa Elementary School! For fifth grade teacher, Mr. Hull, the past school year has been one grant away from paradise. His classroom is described as “positive, dynamic and busy.” With over 10 years of teaching experience, this isn’t news. However, his students – all coming from different socio-economic backgrounds – needed a slight change of pace. “My students run the gamut of socio-economic categories,” Mr. Hull explains. “We have the super rich and the super poor. Our school is in an old historic mountain community on the edge of the California “Gold Country”. Many families strongly feel the impact of the economic downturn of late. The bulk of our school’s students are well loved, and supported at home. For others, however, school is the most consistent part of their daily life. Success at school gives them new hope, and reflection on a brighter future that allows them a greater participation in the world in which they will live as adults.” In today’s society, these social paradigms are becoming more and more frequent. As unemployment rates vary from state to state, the concept of job security leaves has become antiquated. As a result, one could never assume what a student’s home life is actually like; The students from affluent families mingle with the students who come from less, and they learn how to relate to each other in different ways. In the music classroom, however, all those barriers are broken. Mr. Hull knows this all too well. By providing a safe and fun learning environment for his class, he has been able to meet his students at a common love for music. As for the ukeleles, well – let’s just say they had their share of playing time! “I am requesting five (5) ukuleles to replace our old and damaged instruments we are using today,” Mr. Hull asks. Every day, after the flag salute (of course), we sing a song or two together. Mr. Hull models many of the skills they have or will be learning. Each week they work on different chords, theory and techniques. They also have weekly tests, and maintain a practice folder which indicates their time spent on the instrument at home. In an effort to engage with the local community and encourage the students to stay sharp, Mr. Hull arranges a performance at a local retirement home which makes for a wonderful sing-along party with the students at the helm! Thanks to donors like yourselves, KTBA was able to provide Mr. Hull with five ukelele starter packs to replace the old and worn out instruments that he invested in 10 years ago! It is incredibly certain that this fifth grade classroom will enjoy these new instruments – they are well deserved and will be put to a lot of good use over the next few years! “I love my students and am addicted to seeing their “inner lights” turn on as they grasp new discoveries, information and talents,” Hull adds. “The ukulele is a major part in reaching my students, and helping them see that they have a lot to offer, and can do amazing things in new challenges!” All of the ukeleles will arrive within a week or so. The donations were split amongst KTBA and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. You know what they say – “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!” Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, I was thrilled beyond words to receive an email announcing your generous contribution towards our classroom music needs. I cannot express my gratitude sufficiently, but can only assure you that your help in meeting our needs is greatly needed. As your foundation is, no doubt, aware of the challenges music programs are facing in schools all around our nation, you can better understand how a gift like yours helps so much.I have been lucky to have a class set of ukuleles (which I purchased over 10 years ago). I’ve been able to teach about 33 kids a year the basics, and intermediate, skills of the instrument. Over the years I have repaired, replaced, and refurbished, the set. As the years have continued, many of them have become unfixable. Many students have had to share, which sometimes makes things difficult for everyone to learn at a reasonable rate. Because of your gift, my students will better learn, and enjoy, the beauty of music. It is always my hope, and reward, to see students advance in skill, and towards other instrumental programs. Again, thank you. With gratitude, Mr. Hull Every week, KTBA makes a donation to a music program in need! To date, we have helped over 18,000 students through these weekly donations and we will soon include an update on every one of them! Music – especially learning an instrument – is one of the simplest (not to mention fun) ways to encourage and to practice creative thinking and boost children’s cognitive development. If you would like to be a part of our story and keep music education in school programs, make a small donation! It will never go unnoticed!

October 3, 2014

Donation of the Week

KTBA Donates to Mariachi Program oklahoma city, ok – Thanks to your generosity, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation donated to Fillmore Elementary School this week. Instead of the usual guitar donation however, we needed to keep this one special; The school requested a vihuela for their mariachi music program! That’s right – in Oklahoma City, there is a booming hispanic population! U.S. Census Bureau data stated that between the year 2000 and 2010, the hispanic community grew by 95% this is due to low unemployment rates and its central location. This is one of the reasons why, back in 2006, a mariachi program was initiated at Fillmore Elementary – to meet the students in a cultural comfort zone where they would not only have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of music instruction, but also become ambassadors and proud members of their uniquely diverse society. By aligning the curriculum at school with a similar cultural stimuli that exists in the home, students are constantly exposed to the material, hence allowing them to learn quicker and with better understanding of the material. In some cases, the parents and other family members can even elaborate on the music of their heritage, and the students will take more pride in their work. Mr. Osborn elaborates, “We started with 12 students eight years ago – now we are pushing 140 students! It is a struggle to meet the increasing demand. My students are mostly Hispanic and attend a high-poverty inner-city school. Since most of my students rely on the school to provide instruments, it is up to me to be their advocate.” With the constant changes in legislature and tax reform for non-profits and public education systems, music and arts programs are usually on the chopping block when it comes to releasing “dead-weight” expenses. However, we know that Mr. Osborn doesn’t have to face these challenges alone – KTBA could be a big help for him, his school and its student body. “Our budget-strapped district doesn’t have the resources to provide each willing child with an instrument,” Mr. Osborn adds. “Learning music is a great way for my students to express themselves creatively. It also offers an avenue for scholarships and grants towards the cost of college. And, finally, this program has become a point of pride within the school and the surrounding community. Each year we get more and more opportunities to share our talents with the surrounding community.” After some research of the area and the anonymous contributor via DonorsChoose.org, KTBA donated to Mr. Osborn’s cause – outfitting his class with the vihuela kit to round out the inventory for the upcoming semester. Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Thank you so much for supporting my Mariachi program. When the district started this program 9 years ago, they purchased 24 instruments, and I had 20 students participate. The program has spread to 3 schools and I currently have 145 students participating. Out of those students, only around 30 are able to provide their own instruments. This vihuella will help insure that my program can continue to grow regardless of my students ability to purchase their own instruments. Thanks again for your help!With gratitude, Mr. Osborn Together, we were able to assist Mr. Osborn’s classroom, but he isn’t the only one! If you would like to be a part of next week’s success story, make a donation by clicking here!

September 25, 2014

Donation of the Week

KTBA Funds 16 Violins for Middle School Orchestra homestead, fl – In August 2009, Miami Dade County launched one the most student-centered learning centers in South Florida. Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center is located in one of the most agricultural areas of Southeast Florida and is one of the last two towns before you head south to the Florida Keys! The natural wetlands and the cultural melting pot that surrounds the area brings a tremendous amount of diversity to the region, and greatly impacts the learning process for students attending the school. “My school is in a community that has a variety of different types of families anywhere from migrant farm workers, inner city, suburban, military, and professionals. Our school is a located in a predominately low income area, however, the students are eager to learn and have amazing talents and skills if developed through positive after school music activities,” Ms. Torrelles explains. In an effort to reach deeper into the hearts of these students, boost attendance levels, and teach a lifelong skill, Ms. Torrelles uses after-school music programs to keep students engaged and focused on their academic goals. She started an after-school chorus program that teaches students in grades 4 through 8, and wanted to add a string orchestra program to teach music theory and of course, ensemble performances. After reviewing the donation budget, we knew that we could really make a difference in Ms. Torrelles music program. With 16 brand new violins, she will be able to successfully direct a small orchestra for next year, and boost attendance rates and more importantly graduation rates. We will keep you updated on this story as it develops! There is more to come! To make a donation to next week’s special music project, click here! Cheers! SH

September 19, 2014

Recap: KTBA Presents Joe Bonamassa – Live at Red Rocks

KTBA at Red Rocks Amphitheatre When asking any musician which venues top their list to play, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado always sits at the top! On August 31st 2014, Joe Bonamassa and Keeping the Blues Alive did just that, playing to a sold out crowd of 9000 people! The single largest crowd of Joe’s career and what a place to host a show! With each ticket sold, $5 was donated directly to Keeping the Blues Alive foundation, raising $40,000 to fund struggling music programs around the nation! From the stunning Rocky Mountains surrounding the venue to the natural acoustics generated by the massive red rocks jutting up from within the earth, this venue is an awe inspiring sight to behold. Once underway, the show itself inspired just as much awe in the eyes of the fans as the venue did for me. Watching people sitting at the edge of their seats, singing along to every song and hanging on every word was enough to say that this was just as memorable of a night for them as it was for Joe. As a part of this memory filled weekend, a group of very special fans had the chance to have the Ultimate Joe Bonamassa at Red Rocks Experience! Thanks to their generous contributions to our auctions hosted on Charity Buzz and EBay, Suzanne Bowen and Ira Goldberg along with three of their family and friends got to spend a very memorable weekend in the Rockies! After disembarking from their flights they were whisked away to the beautiful Hotel Monaco located right in the heart of downtown Denver where they enjoyed a 2 night stay over the weekend. From there, we had them picked up in a private limousine and taken to the private dress rehearsal show and BBQ with Joe and the crew. Their weekend didn’t end there, on Sunday they were invited back and enjoyed 2nd row seats at the big show! Needless to say this was a weekend that will not easily be forgotten! And of course we can’t forget the man of the hour, dressed in his signature black suit surrounded by a band of white tuxedos and fedoras, Joe was impeccable! He played with all the confidence and class that we are accustomed to and seemed to not have a nervous bone in his body. Playing through a collection of some of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters’ best songs, we were taken on a journey through some of the Blues’ most memorable moments. As our guide through this incredible journey Joe was gracious, visually excited, truly moved and as he said “it was a boy’s dream come true to play this venue, so from that boy to you, thank you so much Colorado for making my dreams come true!” -Eric deTuscan.

September 5, 2014