MARION, SC – Thanks to your donations, KTBA donated lesson books, boxes of reeds for the woodwind instruments, and supplies to the music program at Johnakin Middle School! The town of Marion is located in the Northeastern region of the state, just twenty miles east of Florence. It’s concert and pep bands have been known to stir up the crowd, but those days are numbered. “My students were a great, driven, and fun group of kids who lacked the materials needed to pursue music further,” Ms. Tepedino explained. “When I first started at [Johnakin Middle School], I encountered the issue that the school did not have the funds to properly provide drum sticks, reeds, and method books for the students. My goal was to get a classroom set of method books for the students and a few extra pairs of drumsticks, and boxes of reeds for the students.” Band is considered to be a voluntary elective at Johnakin Middle. However, while the students were proud to be an active part of their local community, they were struggling to find the funds necessary to help provide for this program. It’s continuity was jeopardized. “To the community, the students, and myself, we found this program to be a vital part of [the school curriculum] however, the funding was just not there to help us grow,” Ms. Tepedino adds. Traditions of Excellence instrumental method books – like the ones chosen for this project – are some of the most widely used and time-tested curricula for modern band programs. Ranging from percussion, strings, brass, woodwinds, and everything in-between, Tradition of Excellence books cover the entire spectrum of band repertoire. “My personal project, since coming to this school, was to help build a music program that would make my students proud,” she adds. “My children have worked hard for the things they have already achieved. They really have been patient as I acquire the materials as I can, but it has been a long tedious process.” Thanks to the generosity of Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like YOU, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to fund Ms. Tepedino’s music project. Ms. Tepedino expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Words cannot even begin to describe how much I appreciate the generosity and the willingness to help the JMS Band Program. As a first year teacher, you never really realize how much you rely on the donations from people as well as yourself. Thank you for this selfless act of kindness. With gratitude, Ms. Tepedino Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donation helps us to keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage. Without your support, we would not be able to reach as many students around the country. We are grateful for your generosity.” To date, KTBA has reached over 60,000 students. If you would like to help us to continue to grow, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible! Thank you for keeping music education in schools!

Donation Of The Week – KTBA Donates Ukuleles to Middle School Band Program Teacher Name: Ms. Courtney Vance Inman Intermediate School INMAN, SC – It is a brand new year and Keeping the Blues Alive is hitting the ground running! This week, KTBA donated a classroom set of 25 ukuleles to the music program at Inman Intermediate School! “My students are artists, thinkers, musicians, scientists, engineers, and all-around amazing students,” Ms. Vance states. Courtney teaches music at Inman Intermediate School. “They are so eager to learn new things and take that learning and apply it to everyday life. We have all embraced the responsibility of learning and know that our futures will be brighter because of it. They are special due to their unique personalities and their love of music.” Currently, there are approximately 250 students enrolled in the music classes at Inman, ranging from 4th to 6th grade. “They walk through the classroom door coming from different races, backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and learning abilities,” Courtney adds. “We are a family; we work as a team to reach our goals. A well-rounded and quality K-12 education includes music and the arts. Many studies show the effects of the arts on student’s performance in schools. By providing these ukuleles, I want to provide my students a way to excel and grow in other academic areas. These ukuleles will make a difference in my student learning by providing more opportunities for them to explore various instrument families. I want to be able to provide opportunities for my students with strings instruments. These instruments will help provide my students with a quality education and help them to widen their musical knowledge. This will help my students to be well-rounded and musical adults in the future.” Thanks to the generosity of Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like you, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation was able to donate these instruments to Ms. Vance’s music program. Now, every child will have an opportunity to get hands-on learning time with the instruments and provide a greater and wholesome learning experience from week to week. Ms. Vance expresses her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc., Thank you so much for helping me fund my project! My students and I are so excited to continue to build our musicianship through stringed instruments this year. Thank you for providing opportunities to many students who would not receive them otherwise! Thank you so much for your generosity! We are truly grateful for you! With gratitude, Ms. Vance Every week, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more! Your donation helps us to keep music in schools while preserving blues heritage. If you would like to help us fund next week’s project, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible! Thank you for keeping music education in schools! Shawn Hagood for Keeping the Blues Alive

columbia, sc – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation was able to make a contribution and send a faithful music teacher to an Orff-Schulwerk Training Program. This, as last week’s donation, was a hats-off to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Pilot Program for sowing into teachers’ music education programs.  By matching our donation, Watkins-Nance music students will be enriched by the growth of their new-found music teacher’s knowledge of Orff training and music theory. Mrs. Wylie, the school’s music teacher exemplifies the kind of drive we wish to see in all teachers of our communities.  After graduating from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) with a dual-Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and Music Education, she was hired as a music education teacher while continuing to teach private lessons.  After two years, she went back to school after accepting her admission to the University of South Carolina.  She has completed her Master’s degree and is currently enrolled in their doctorate program. Beyond the pomp and circumstance, Mrs. Wylie’s passion has been realized as she wades through the turmoils of the public education system.  By applying herself to the trusted methods of legendary composer (Carmina Burana) and music education pioneer, Carl Orff, she will earn her Level I course certification. Why the Carl Orff Method?  Carl Orff was a german composer and music educator in a time of great revolution and discord. He defined the ideal music as “never alone, but connected with movement, dance, and speech – not to be listened to, meaningful only in active participation.” In other words, music is to not only be heard, but felt in a cooperative learning environment.  By using music, speech and movement, students are exposed to a more wholistic approach to understand music and connecting with it – it is a powerful testament to the notion that music is an innate gift to humanity – no matter their race, sex, origin or environment. In today’s music classrooms, there is a wide range of teaching methods that can vary especially from state to state.  There is, of course, standardization, but each teacher and school have their own interpretation of how they would be implemented.  This is also due to the varying musical outlets and state/federal funding opportunities for programs such as marching bands, theater groups, and choirs both scholastically and through the community. One method that is extremely common especially amongst children between the age groups of 3 and 9, is the Carl Orff method.  Additionally, his method of encouraging movement and hands-on activities encourages physical activity in a time when childhood obesity is skyrocketing.  In many ways, we hope that more teachers engage themselves in these practices so that it becomes a part of standard curriculum.  There is always room to progress in this field, and of course, this is only one method amongst the modern approaches to teaching.  The Carl Orff method is one that has withstood the test of time, and has made its way into the standard practices for music education degree-seeking college students. Thanks to the donations received, we were able to send Mrs. Wylie to this training certification program at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This Level I training certification program will take place in the summer – unbeknownst to the students – between July 13th and the 24th. The boot-camp, if you will, will start off with opening warm ups, songs, movement, and then get straight into music theory principles.  They will re-take recorder methods and pedagogy, and incorporate music and vocabulary for students needing this reinforcement.  Teachers will have open discussions and have the opportunity to lean on esteemed colleagues for advice, encouragement, and inspiration. No one understands teaching like the teachers we have certified through our higher education systems.  At the time we need it most – when students are immersed in social media, mobile technology and even virtual reality simulators, etc., – we can sow into the teachers we trusted to guide our young students.  We must invest in them like never before.  These are the people who see your kids, sometimes more than you will in a week.  They are influenced by their peers and their environment every day; Let’s empower our teachers with time-tested strategies and equip them to handle the over-stimulated youths of today and allow music programs to shape them into diplomatic, critically-thinking yet creative individuals that will solve life’s greatest challenges. If you feel empowered by reading this, and wish to contribute to our cause, please click here to make a small donation to our foundation! Thank you for Keeping The Blues Alive, and for helping us pass the torch to the next generation!    

The Composers de Campobello! campobello, sc – Thanks to your donations this week, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation was able to donate plenty of materials to the students at Campobello-Grambling Elementary School in Campobello, SC! Mrs. Pym, the school’s music instructor, said her students were “excited to create sound stories with picture books and handheld percussion instruments.” They were motivated, engaged learners in this rural SC public school and elementary students come to music class once a week to enjoy integrating music with other subjects they are learning. “I am fortunate to teach in an environment with students that love to learn!” Mrs. Pym added. With the picture books like The Girl Who Heard Colors and There Was a Tree and handheld percussion instruments, her students will be able to compose sound stories. Additionally, they will get to integrate percussion instruments into books, creating their own musical composition. Students will get to perform their sound stories to other students in younger grades.  After receiving the funds for her project, Mrs. Pym left us with a little note expressing her gratitude: Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Thank you thank you thank you for your interest our classroom! I am so excited to have handheld percussion instruments that my students can share! This will serve to provide enough instruments so we have an entire class set – no more waiting for your turn! My older students will enjoy composing accompaniments to use with our picture books. This will reinforce our skills of reading and writing music as we work to compose our own pieces. Thank you for giving us the tools we need to continue to be successful! With gratitude, Mrs. Pym We could not do these donations without your help! To make a donation to next week’s project, click here!