Four elementary schools benefit from Save the Music, CCS alliance
Some elementary-age students in Columbus City Schools are hitting a high note after receiving a donation of musical instruments.
Because of a new relationship between Save the Music Foundation and CCS, four elementary schools have received a total of $160,000 worth of equipment and resources meant to ignite the musical passions of fourth- and fifth-graders.
The foundation, based in New York City, has awarded Core Strings grants to Columbus Africentric Early College Pre-K-12, Columbus Gifted Academy and Duxberry Alternative Elementary School, resulting in cellos, violins and violas, plus equipment and professional development for teachers.
Indian Springs Elementary School in Clintonville was awarded an Intro to Music grant, meaning the school has received a general music package, including a set of xylophones, glockenspiels, a piano, an acoustic guitar, world percussion, ukuleles and recorders.
“It’s a really wonderful launch of a long-term partnership between the Save the Music organization and Columbus City Schools to ensure every elementary-school student has equity and access to playing a high-quality instrument,” said Jaclyn Rudderow, senior director, school programs with the organization.
“By investing at the foundational level, we are building from the ground up and are so excited to see where these students will go with this opportunity,” Rudderow said.
The announcement coincided with the announcement of the Saturday Strings Festival, which was held Nov. 5 at East High School, 1500 E. Broad St.
In the past, the event had been for string students in grades sixth through eighth. With the implementation of the Save the Music grant, however, the concert invited stringed-instrument students in the fifth grade, said Betty Hill, supervisor of Unified Arts Department for grades K-12 at CCS.
On a related note, Save the Music Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since its founding, the foundation has donated nearly $70 million worth of instruments and technology to more than 2,500 schools.
Rudderow said the foundation has made a roughly 10-year commitment to CCS that will involve follow-up visits and periodic checks on progress.
“We want to be in all 75 elementary sites,” Rudderow said.
Hill said she started writing the grant last year because, during the pandemic, students were getting a strong connection with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Columbus, Jazz Arts Group and Columbus Symphony, among other arts organizations.
“We couldn’t meet the demand it was so great,” Hill said. “Not only that, I said for a long time our students didn’t see themselves in those (Western-European model) orchestra programs.”
gseman@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekGary
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Four elementary schools benefit from Save the Music, CCS alliance
