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Ukuleles donated to Elementary School – Keeping the Blues Alive

DOTW – Ukuleles donated to Elementary School

Ms. Baker Burr in Kuna, ID

Kuna, ID – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation donated two, 10piece Ukulele Classroom packs to the elementary music program at Reed Elementary School!

The town of Kuna, ID has something to boast about! With a population of 19,000, you can barely walk to a place where someone doesn’t know your name. This week, the faculty will have something fresh to talk about as 20 new ukuleles prepare to arrive!

“My students are wonderful small town kids,” Ms. Baker Burr explains. Ms. Baker is the music instructor at Reed Elementary School.

“We have cultivated a love of the arts here at our school. We are also a dual language school; We teach Spanish as well as English in many different capacities.”

Reed, a Title I school near Boise, is composed of a diverse population of migrant families. These families are of many different nationalities, including Iranian, Mexican, Spanish, Bosnian, and Chinese to name a few. In an effort to celebrate the vast and rich cultures of the student population, The school celebrates different cultures in music, through holidays and with a yearly school carnival!

“Our elementary school is a wonderful community full of students from all over the world. Adding ukuleles to our music program would allow students from all socio-economic backgrounds to learn an instrument that is affordable, portable, and easy to learn!” she explains. These instruments would allow for solo and ensemble learning and performing opportunities. They are also fitting for our school’s differing age groups.”

Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc.,

Wow…it’s Christmas in November! Thank you so much for funding our ukuleles! I am so excited to spend the time, between now and when they arrive, lesson planning to make the most of this amazing new experience for my kids. This will mean an economical music experience that is portable for all my students, but especially for my low income students to learn an instrument for life! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

With gratitude,

Ms. Baker Burr

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 tax-deductible!

Thank you for keeping music education in schools!

Shawn Hagood for Keeping the Blues Alive

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