MIAMI, FL – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated four new violin outfits to the elementary music program at Norwood Elementary School!

“My students are from the City of Miami Gardens, a lower socio-economic area,” Mr. Thomas Toyama writes. “They are hungry for musical experiences and love to engage in musical activities. Their enthusiastic participation in reading music, singing and playing little instruments shows that they would really do well on instruments. They are attentive, focused, on-task, and fully engaged in music class. I would really like to see them all have the opportunity to learn and experience music on the violin. They would love it!”

More than three quarters of students that attend Norwood come from a lower socioeconomic area. The emotional support and the camaraderie that stems from music lessons are great ways to stimulate growth in these kids’ lives.

Learning the violin in elementary school gives students opportunities to experience music in a variety of settings – from individual solo performances to group settings of string quartet, string orchestra, and full symphony orchestra. This also includes strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments.

As Mr. Toyama develops a curriculum for the students to follow, Keeping the Blues Alive is in the process of funding four new violin outfits for the students to use.

“My school does not have enough violins for the whole class,” Mr. Toyama explains. If I had enough violins, students could learn violin in all my 3rd through 5th grade classes. Currently, our school only has 9 violins. Now, we are in need of about 13 violins or as many as we can acquire. Receiving this donation allows our school to buy 4 more student size violins. Our school is a Title I school and cannot spend money from its limited budget on new violins. Help our students learn music by giving them violins to participate and experience music.”

Thanks to Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like YOU, Mr. Toyama and his aspiring musicians will be able to teach more students in their string classes.
He expresses his gratitude:

Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc.,

Thank you to the donor(s) for their generous contributions of funds to purchase violins for the students in our Title I elementary school. Our students are hungry for musical exposure. They greatly appreciate your generosity, love and care. I will ensure that these violins will be taken good care of and used to benefit students this school year and years to come. Your contribution will have a lasting positive impact in providing our students a wonderful “hands on” experience. Playing violin, will help students learn note reading, intonation, melody, steady beat, rhythm, and artistry. You have given the students the gift and tool to manifest music in their young lives. That’s so precious and priceless! And they will be very surprised, pleased and
happy! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With gratitude, Mr. Toyama

Every week, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more!
If you would like to help us fund next week’s project, click here to make a donation! All donations are tax-deductible!

Thank you for keeping music education in schools!

Shawn Hagood for Keeping the Blues Alive