Thanks to a teacher’s efforts and the generosity of a ticket-selling website, 15 students at Derby’s Irving School will have the chance to learn how to play a musical instrument.
The school recently received a $15,4000 grant from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation , a nonprofit that donates musical instruments to under-funded music programs.
The school was selected to receive a donation of three clarinets, three flutes, three trumpets, two alto saxophones, three trombones, and an oboe.
According to a letter from the foundation, the donation was made possible through generous funding from one its corporate partners, StubHub, a ticket-selling website that has plans to donate $1 million worth of instruments to schools nationwide.
Music teacher Jennifer Lucas wrote the grant application, and was overcome with emotion Wednesday during the school’s community meeting as she read aloud a letter from StubHub congratulating her on receiving the instruments.
“The grant means that 15 kids per year (can participate) who couldn’t afford band otherwise,” Lucas said.
The band consists of 47 fourth- and fifth-graders.
“There are 36 beginners and 11 second-year” band members, Lucas said.
Irving fifth-grader Jahanna Boyd, 10, played clarinet last year and is looking forward to being in the band again this year.
“It’s cool because it gives an opportunity for other people who didn’t play before to play,” she said.
Fourth-grader Cynthia Grant, 9, said she was excited to learn how to play the clarinet, because she said she has “never played an instrument before.”
Fifth-grader Stephanie Parra, 10, said she had played the recorder but now she’s ready to learn to play the flute.
The band has a tentative first performance scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Lucas said, with a winter concert slated for Dec. 8 at the school.
Irving School Principal Jennifer Olson praised Lucas for her hard work.
“This donation will help us continue to grow and develop our music program, and create access for all students who are interested in playing an instrument,” Olson said in a statement.
Olson commended Lucas for “leading the way with securing donations to help fund and expand the music room’s materials and resources.”
And not just through grants — over the past two years, Lucas had 17 projects funded on Donors Choose, a fundraising website, worth $6,265 — funds for things like instruments, books, sheet music, lyres, and more.
Lucas is hoping to build a listening center next, and is asking for help to pay for iPod shuffles and headphones.
Click here to view details on that project.
Community Meeting
Also during Wednesday’s community meeting, which included parents and grandparents in the audience, Olson read names of all students who had celebrated birthdays over the summer or in September.
They were given bookmarks and will receive “gently used” books as gifts, Olson said.
“Literacy is important to us,” she said. “We want all of our students to love reading. It means a lot to us.”
Community meetings are a way the Irving School builds school spirit and strengthens bonds.
