April 15th, 2009
From: Darin Faul, Band Director
To: MTHS Band Supporters
I recently had a very uplifting experience! Somehow…someway…our MTHS band community was able to sell more tickets for Hot Java Cool Jazz than the programs at Garfield, Roosevelt, Shorewood, and Newport High Schools. Quite an accomplishment for a program that has far fewer students than any of those schools! I can’t remember ever feeling prouder of our band community. And I can’t remember ever feeling more supported, either. It was a total group effort, not just jazz band kids and parents, but all band families, our school, and our supporters. Amazing!
We did it because we all recognize the importance of an experience like Hot Java Cool Jazz, not just for our Jazz Ensemble 1 students, but for everyone connected to the program. We have had the unfortunate experience of being “uninvited” once in the past 11 years, and never wanted that to happen again. And there was a lot of talk about discontinuing the event if it didn’t sell out this year. None of us wanted to see that happen. And so we rallied together in support of Hot Java Cool Jazz and music education in general.
Hot Java Cool Jazz is a fundraiser for the school music programs and so by supporting that event, you supported music education. And because MTHS was the overall top sellers, we received additional monetary bonuses. But more important than the money we received was the feeling we all had on stage. We had so many friends and family in the audience cheering us on, wanting us to do our very best! Can you imagine what that was like? We felt incredibly supported and it made a huge difference in our performance and our experience. I received a text message that night from a student that simply said, “I will never forget tonight.” Hot Java Cool Jazz was a big deal for us. But we have big deals nearly every day that don’t happen in front of an audience. Just through participation in our band program, students have countless experiences that change them for the good…that they will never forget. Of course, people don’t always get to stand up and clap for those like they did at Hot Java Cool Jazz. And they might not even know about them.
There is another way for you to support us and support music education, but in return you will get something much less concrete than a great night out at the Paramount Theater. We are holding a pledge drive this year instead of our usual Big Band Dance or Auction or Dinner. In these changed economic times, we thought we would just ask for donations. This way every dollar you donate will go toward the funding of the band program and isn’t needed to cover any overhead expenses such as dinner, lighting, an auctioneer, decorations, etc.
Your donation will have the same effect on all the students in the band program as the support you gave us at Hot Java Cool Jazz. It means, of course, having the necessary equipment, sheet music and supplies, and professional coaching that we so desperately need. But more important than that is the feeling we have every day as we are going about the business of learning this art form: that it matters to others, too. It is not just about us and what we do during rehearsal or even performances; it is much bigger than that. What we do has an impact on others. It is important to others; so important that they don’t just talk about it’s importance, but are willing to give us some of their hard earned money so that we can continue our studies.
In these tough economic times, believe me when I say that music and music education is definitely being looked at as a place that is “non-essential” in the budget. Well, hopefully we all know and remember that it is not “non-essential,” but rather fundamental to who we are as people. We need music! It speaks to us emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually in a way that no other language can. It teaches us things that we wouldn’t otherwise learn. It helps us celebrate joyful times and cope with difficult times. It teaches us about ourselves and each other. It unveils the mysteries of the human experience and connects us to those around us.
We have a goal of raising $10,000. This will allow us to adequately fund our typical operating expenses such as purchasing new sheet music, replacing damaged equipment, paying professional musicians to work with us, and other miscellaneous items that usually come up such as an occasional festival entry fee, an emergency scholarship for someone in need, cost overruns for summer workshops, etc. Additionally, we plan to purchase a new Euphonium at the cost $1500.
I believe we can rally around our pledge drive for the band program at Mountlake Terrace High School in the same way we rallied around the ticket selling efforts for Hot Java Cool Jazz. Through your donation, you demonstrate your support of music education and the value you place on the “event” of making music. The students will feel it, I can promise you that. It can’t help but change how they feel about playing just as it did when they felt the support of the audience at Hot Java Cool Jazz. They will know that studying music in school, a pursuit that is so often exploited or devalued or dismissed or discontinued, truly matters to others… Can you imagine what that will feel like to our students? And the school board and the superintendent and his staff will be reminded that music is important to more people than just those who are on stage; that our whole community values what is happening in the music room and are coming out in support of the “event.” This “event” doesn’t happen at the Paramount, though. It happens every day in the Band Room at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Sincerely,
Darin Faul
Band Director
Mountlake Terrace High School
PS. Please join us for a Celebration Concert on the afternoon of May 2nd at MTHS at the conclusion of our pledge drive. Mark your calendar and look for more details in the near future.
|
