HDMS Band Parents, I need your help. I would like to start thinking about fundraising to update some of the HDMS band equipment. The HDMS band room has not seen any reinvestment in equipment since the school opened 30 years ago, and we are constantly battling broken and poorly functioning equipment. The tubas have holes in them. The timpani should be turned into flower pots. The trombone slides stick like they have peanut butter on them. The saxophones make “weird clicking noises,” according to one student. The trumpet in the photo above broke in half while the student was playing. Many instruments are starting to cost more to repair than they are worth, and it is time to upgrade.
I have been advocating to the school district about the need for a re-investment in our equipment. Additionally, one of our amazing HDMS band students, Michael Graham, has created a change.org petition to advocate for better funding for music from the state. Michael also recently spoke to the BLS school board (and brought a broken trumpet) to bring awareness to our situation. While a colleague of mine often reminds me, “There is no such thing as a band emergency,” I would like to make upgrading our instruments a focus for the HDMS band program over the next few years.
This is not a cheap endeavor. One tuba retails for $4,500 (we need to replace four tubas…). A set of timpani runs upwards of $15,000. I have tempered my expectations and do not anticipate replacing $100,000 of inventory overnight. However, I would like to start chipping away, which means…
This is where you (parents) come in! I need ideas! What do we need to do to start fundraising? Do we want to sell things? Take direct donations? Start a booster organization to better leverage our fundraising abilities? Is this something you would even be willing to help with? Is this all wishful thinking, and should I take my blog post and go home? I am all ears. I fully admit my capacity to run fundraisers by myself is extremely limited (I am currently barricaded in my home office while my children, 5 and 7, make toilet paper forts in the living room…I know you understand…). I am hoping that together we can make something happen!
THANK YOU for reading this far, and I appreciate your support. Your kids are amazing (I really mean that!), and I want the best for them. They work really hard every day in band and they definitely deserve the best!
Let’s get this conversation started. Email me: sarah.owen (@) bend.k12.or.us
High Desert Middle School Band 