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KTBA Foundation Supports Music Learning Through Strumming

Elementary School Students Receive New Guitars for Music Program! MAXTON, NC – Thanks to the donations from supporters like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated three (3) new guitars to the music students at J. W. Arnold Elementary School! About the Teacher and her Students “The students that I teach are eager to learn music,” say Ms. Saxton. “They are an awesome group of students who love learning about music. When the students come into the music room, they have so much excitement and joy for music that they always put a smile on my face. The students I teach go above and beyond the expectations that I set for them. The students I teach are always willing to help each other become the best music students. They love to come to music class because they will get a fun experience learning about music. The students I teach are so excited to learn that they always look forward to coming to music.” About the Project “If my students receive the guitars, they will be able to learn how to perform on instruments alone and with others in different varieties of music. Students need to be able to play by themselves and with others in order to see if they can understand what is being taught to them. They will also be able to understand timbre which is the sounds the guitar produces when it is being strummed.” Attitude of Gratitude Thanks to the support of music lovers and donors like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to fund Ms. Saxton’s project and the guitars are in good (little) hands! Ms. Saxton expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., I would like to thank you for making a donation towards my project. Because of your generous donations, my students will have the opportunity to learn how to read music while also learning how to play the guitars. Again on behalf of myself and my students, we can’t thank you enough for donating to my my project. You are simply the best!! With gratitude, Ms. Saxton Support our Weekly Donation Program Every week, Keeping the Blues Alive makes a donation to schools in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more. Beginning as far back as 2015 (and pausing in 2020), we had been increasing the amount of weekly allocations. Now, we’re getting back on track with our weekly contributions but we do need help to keep this program afloat! So far, we have funded over 550 projects and we anticipate being able to hit 600 this year! BIG NUMBERS! If you enjoy seeing these weekly donations to classrooms across the country, please consider becoming a monthly donor to support this mission. Thank you for keeping music alive in schools! TO DONATE click here.

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June 3, 2022

KTBA Foundation Donates New Violin to Wynnton Arts Academy

Bonamassa’s Nonprofit Donates to Wynnton Arts Academy COLUMBUS, GA – Thanks to your donations, students at the Wynnton Arts Academy are receiving another boost in their music department! You help them receive a new violin! About the School Wynnton Arts Academy is a public fine arts magnet school. All students receive daily instruction in drama, art, music, and dance. Arts integration and STEAM activities are integral components of their program. In addition, the activities support student achievement across the curriculum. Content and skills from the fine arts are integrated with core subject curriculum. As a result, it provides students additional avenues through which they can enhance their academic, emotional, physical, and social skills. The Arts promote self-discipline, creativity, and the confidence to succeed in life. Click here to watch Wynnton’s Welcome Video About the Project Mrs. Moody’s students needed a new, quality-made violin, that was the right size for beginning students. “My students are a very talented and diverse group who are energized by learning how to play their instruments,” she says. “I teach at a Title I school in Georgia where many students would like to be in the orchestra but cannot always afford to purchase an instrument. Being offered the opportunity to join an orchestra opens up so many doors for them.” Wynnton Arts Academy places the performing arts high on its priority list because of the positive impact they can have on students’ academic and social lives. “My students want to grow as musicians and attain a high level of performance,” she adds. “Many of them will go on to earn college scholarships.” Why Wynnton Academy? “Anyone that has ever been to an orchestra concert has surely been mesmerized by the violin section. The largest section of the orchestra, the violins often treat our ears to lush melodies impassioned with vibrato. The violin is also one of the most popular instruments with students. It all begins with fitting the student with the right sized instrument so they can be successful in their musical journey. Since our school starts violinists in 5th grade, many of them are not ready to start on a full-size violin. We need[ed] a quality 1/2 size violin so students aren’t struggling to learn on an instrument that is too big for them.” Thanks to music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive was able to provide Mrs. Moody’s class with a brand new 1/2 size violin for their orchestra. Attitude of Gratitude Mrs. Moody expresses her sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the successful funding of this project: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., 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 through music. For some students, orchestra is the reason they are excited to get up and come to school each morning. The violin that you have funded is a quality instrument that will be easy to tune and will produce a beautiful tone. In addition, this violin is the right size for young students. It will enable students to reach their potential and have the opportunity to perform with a group of their peers. I can’t wait for my students to be able to play on this instrument. Thank you again. I couldn’t do my job without support from donors like you! With gratitude, Mrs. Moody Let’s Keep it Going! Every week, KTBA donates to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more. Please consider donating to this cause by clicking HERE. Thank you for keeping the blues alive! ___ Meet the Teacher Mrs. Gina Moody currently teaches Orchestra at Columbus High School and Wynnton Arts Academy. Mrs. Moody has served as the District 3 Orchestra Chair, District Honors Orchestra organizer, All State Orchestra auditions organizer, and as a mentor to new orchestra teachers. Prior to teaching in Muscogee County, she held the 2nd clarinet position in the Midland-Odessa Symphony in Midland, Texas. In addition, she maintained a private teaching studio. Mrs. Moody received degrees in Clarinet Performance from the University of North Texas and Music Education from Columbus State University. Mrs. Moody balances her teaching duties while remaining an active performer. She performs with several local groups. As a member of those various groups, Mrs. Moody has been invited to perform at GMEA, ClarinetFest, and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.

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February 11, 2022

KTBA Donates Percussion Equipment for Film Scoring

Live Film Scoring with Percussion Instruments AUGUSTA, GA – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated percussion instruments to students at Gracewood Elementary School in August, GA! This included table gongs, cymbals, an array of hand percussion, and classroom sets of equipment fit to help almost 500 students! This variety of percussion instruments will bring their project to life as they use the sounds for film scoring and sound effects for books! Background Augusta’s First Cheese Wagon? “Since 1893, when the principal drove his students to school with horse, buggy ‘n’ all, our elementary music students have been eager to learn!” says Ms. Nancy Davis, music teacher at Gracewood. “Our music program was recently reinstated in the 2019-2020 school year. While off to a great start with an Orff, ukulele, and drum collection that continues to grow through grant-funded projects, any additional instruments or resources allow students the opportunity for further musical exploration!” What is one of their biggest needs? “Room to play!” Ms. Davis says. “Many of my students do not have the immediate funds at home to casually explore music or their preference for a particular instrument; additional instruments and resources help a great deal!” About the Project Hey! A Movie! “This music, history and technology lesson, and its many variations, has been featured in my music classroom since my first year of teaching. Having an equal love for films, foley effects, and musical scoring, I was eager to bring this unique study of percussion and film to students. Typically featured around Halloween, music students not only compare and contrast Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre to Disney’s 1929 “Skeleton Dance”, but also use common classroom percussion instruments to recreate their own foley effects along with the cartoon. Music students not only learn about early films but also apply relevant examples of important musical concepts, like steady beat.” Don’t Steal My Thunder! “Did you know a thin plastic sheet of metal was originally used to simulate the rumble of thunder on the radio? When the idea was “borrowed” from one studio to another, the popular phrase “stealing my thunder” was born! In addition to the improvisational skills of a silent film pianist, the silent films 1920s brought many percussion instruments or “toys”. With this unique project, I hope to not only build our percussion collection but explore past traditional classroom percussion instruments and celebrate its diversity within the history of film and beyond!” Attitude of Gratitude Thanks to the donations from generous people like YOU, KTBA was able to purchase the percussion instruments they needed to perform the foley clips they needed. Ms. Davis expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you so much for your contribution to our classroom! With these instruments, our Gracewood students will experience a range of percussive sounds, their history and how they can play an important “roll” in stories, both on screen or on the page. Our students are so curious about everything and will absolutely enjoy engaging and exploring with these new sounds. With gratitude, Ms. Nancy Davis Let’s keep it going! Every week, KTBA donates to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more. Please consider donating to this cause by clicking HERE. Thank you for keeping the blues alive! ____ About Ms. Davis My name is Ms. Nancy Davis, I am from Thomasville, GA and I am starting my 9th year teaching elementary music. I earned my BA in Music Education and my MA in Percussion Performance from Valdosta State University. Over the past year, I earned my Specialists in Advanced Education from Augusta University in addition to receiving a STEAM Certification. I love to sing, draw, play piano, drums, and travel. From 2013 – 2018 I traveled with a youth orchestra from Michigan and had the opportunity to perform in towns and cities all across Europe! From this experience, I have been to cities in France, Luxembourg, and over 25 different places in Germany. I love food and traveling very much and I try to see as much as I can! During the year, I take time for Professional Development! I am a member of the Kodaly and Orff Organizations and have attended both National Conferences. I am also a member of the Kodaly Atlanta chapter and attend regional Orff and Kodaly workshops in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina at least 2-3 per semester. Our collection of musical instruments has grown over the past two years and our Gracewood Elementary Music Program can now boast 20 ukuleles, 15 xylophones, 30 bucket drums, 9 large drums, and an assortment of smaller percussion instruments. With over $10,000 awarded in grant money, our music students at Gracewood are playing and learning with quality instruments! While COVID remains a determining factor for the possibilities of traditional in-person concerts, we hope to bring back the music to our families through digital means! For more information visit her teacher page at: https://www.rcboe.org/gracewood

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January 21, 2022

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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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