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!