Testimonials for the BIRD
Thank you so much for the donation of these instruments! About two-thirds of the students at the Hope Academy are low income and would find it difficult buying or even renting an instrument in this economy. I have been wanting to start a band program at my school since I started two years ago and have been increasing interest by choosing an instrument of the week to perform for my students since the start of the school year. The school currently only has a trumpet, an oboe, and a saxophone, so the addition of these instruments will mean that I only need to apply for brass instruments in my grant applications. Thank you! We look forward to growing our music program!
~ Maximilian St George, Hope Academy, Providence, RI
My name is Julian Gau, and I serve as music director of the Providence Medical Orchestra. One of our percussionists, Tom Sheeran, brought our attention to a bass drum that the Rhode Island Wind Ensemble was planning to give away. Thank you very much for your kind donation! We appreciate it a lot, and it will be put to good use in many concerts to come.
~ Julian Gau, Providence Medical Orchestra, Providence, RI
I have a major soft spot for older horns, and my own personal collection of antiques is dominated by silverplate. I can't tell you how many times I have stared at the pictures of the Tolman (then Pawtucket High School) band from the '20s and '30s and wished I still had all of those instruments. (I even had a dream once that I discovered them in a long-forgotten closet under the gym!) There were many of those in the old band pictures and I always find myself drawn to more obscure and obsolete things. Thanks for all your efforts.
~ Mike Raymond, Tolman High School, Pawtucket, RI
Our school is thrilled to receive the high-quality instruments donated by the Rhode Island Wind Ensemble through the Band Instrument Renewal Drive (BIRD)! These instruments will enable our students to learn and grow as musicians and will hopefully foster a lifelong appreciation for music. The BIRD initiative can be a game-changer for any school music program by providing high-quality instruments, at no charge, that are needed to establish a thriving music program that will enrich the lives of students for years to come.
~ Nathan Rodriquez, Robert L Bailey IV Elementary School, Providence, RI