Music Instruments & Supplies for NYC Kids

Dear Project Supporters:

We’re two months into the new school year, and your support of this project has helped us purchase instruments and supplies essential for engaging the children in our newest programs. P.S. 359 in the Bronx is just one example of what you are making possible at our seven first-year partner schools:

ETM music teacher Mark Phillips at P.S. 359 in the Bronx told a few stories about his music classroom that we would like to share. P.S. 359 is a newer elementary school serving 225 students in grades PreK – 2. ETM began its partnership with the school because of the principal’s enthusiasm for creating a well-rounded curriculum for her students.  She envisioned a school community that would “foster responsible and productive citizens with strong critical thinking and academic skills via a rigorous and thought-provoking curriculum delivered by passionate and motivated teachers,” and she contacted ETM to ask us to partner with her school.

The school year has been off to a wonderful start. Mr. Phillips teaches all 225 students at the school, including English language learners and special needs students, and the music classroom, thanks to your support, has been outfitted with all sorts of supplies and age-appropriate instruments! ETM purchased and delivered a colorful floor rug, a boombox and an assortment of picture books (that enhance the musical repertoire and help integrate literacy skills into the music curriculum). We also filled the classroom with hand bells, shakers, claves, bongo drums, glockenspiels, and xylophones! The most recent, and much anticipated, addition to the classroom was a keyboard.

Mr. Phillips explained that he likes to name the items in his room in order to give the room a personality, and to make the students feel more connected to the classroom and what they are learning. His ukulele, for example, is called “Chip.”  “I have a ‘teaching assistant’ named 'Mr. Coolbach,’” said Mr. Phillips. “He is a portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach wearing sunglasses that I pin up on the wall in a new spot each week so that the kids have to find him. I tell students that he watches the class…he has become part of the family in our room.”

The students have loved engaging with instruments for the first time. When the new keyboard arrived, his students were so excited that one called out, “Mr. Phillips, we have to come up with a name for the keyboard, too!” The boombox and keyboard are used in every lesson; students enjoy singing the “Hello Rock” at the start of each class with Mr. Phillips’ accompaniment on the keyboard. They also often do dance warm-ups using the boombox. His students have been focusing on how to keep a steady beat using the hand percussion, such as shakers and claves, and have used the pitched hand bells to explore high and low sounds. His classes have also used the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt along with the accompanying sound track in order to solidify their steady beat work. Going forward, the students will prepare for the winter concert in December. They will continue to use the instruments and repertoire ETM provided to build their skills and meet the benchmarks on each grade level. And they still need to agree upon a name for the keyboard!

Thank you, again, to everyone who has donated to this project to buy instruments and supplies for ETM’s new partner schools. As you can see from the pictures, our music classrooms are colorful and interactive, motivating students to participate and learn. Supporters, what do you think of this music classroom?

With sincere thanks,

The ETM Staff

Our project success at P.S. 359 has been possible in thanks to your support. Yet, our work at these newest partner schools is just beginning and requires continued support. Please consider forwarding our project to a friend or colleague who you think might be interested in donating. Thank you.

Links:

• Learn more about ETM on our website