Help us bring professional musicians into our middle school band program to mentor students and provide masterclasses for each instrument. For many students the best part of 6th grade is finally getting join the school band. The first year of band is a magical time where students arrive bursting with excitement to make the first sounds on their new instruments and make music with their friends. However, the way our band classes are set up creates a unique set of instructional challenges. One band teacher may have 50 to 60 beginning students in each class playing ten different kinds of instruments that all work differently and read different music. Without help this can make the first year of band class move too slowly. Each donation of $50 will bring in a professional musician to give a masterclass for the students who play their instrument. This individualized small group instruction will help students excel on their new instrument and keep their initial enthusiasm going throughout the entire school year.  

Our goal is to raise $1,500 which will provide thirty $50 masterclasses over the course of the school year. The band teacher will divide the master classes among the different instrument sections.  

Example of how masterclasses could be divided by instrument group.

Flute- 5 X $50 = $250

Clarinet- 5 X $50 = $250

Saxophone- 5 X $50 = $250

High Brass: Trumpet/French Horn- 5 X $50 = $250

Low Brass: Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba- 5 X $50 = $250

Percussion- 5 X $50 = $250

30 Total Masterclasses X $50 = $1,500

2018-19 will be the pilot year for the Music Mentor program. If successful, we hope to continue the program in future years to give every new class of 6th grade beginning band students the same kind of support.