Band Director Matt Laudano set up a fundraising project on the website "DonorsChoose.org". The project's goal: to raise enough to purchase a much needed instrument repair kit, as well as a microphone to record individual band members during rehearsals. These tools would help maintain and improve the band's performance in competition.
Today, the project reached its fundraising goal! Mr. Laudano's request was met by donations from several individuals over the last few weeks, including a generous matching grant from an anonymous donor.
Without this privately funded gift, students were forced to play broken or poorly conditioned instruments due to the high hourly repair rates charged, and a lack of funding in the school budget for upkeep. Repairing brass & woodwind instruments requires specialized tools, which the award winning East Haven High School Marching Band now has, thanks to the success of this drive.
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Having these items, as well as others down the line, will enable the band to maintain the level of excellence exemplified by four consecutive weeks of first place performances in competition this season.
Arts education funding has been cut consistently through the years, in spite of its recognized value in raising overall academic performance.
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"A study done by The College Board, a nonprofit association that works to make sure all students in the American educational system are college-ready, found that students who take four years of arts and music classes while in high school score 91 points better on their SAT exams than students who took only a half year or less (scores averaged 1070 among students in arts educations compared to 979 for students without arts education.)" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/will-less-art-and-music-in-the-classroom-really-help-students-soar-academically/2012/12/28/e18a2da0-4e02-11e2-839d-d54cc6e49b63_blog.html
"Youth Have Better Academic Outcomes, Higher Career Goals, and Are More Civically Engaged" http://arts.gov/news/2012/new-nea-research-report-shows-potential-benefits-arts-education-risk-youth
The band raises funds continuously to supplement school funding and meet the ongoing costs of travel, equipment and competition. Continued community support alone allows the East Haven High School Yellow Jacket Marching Band to maintain its standard of excellence.
In response to this particular fundraising goal being met, Mr. Laudano said, "I would like to personally thank all of you for your generous support. These tools will allow me to fix student and school owned instruments. In addition, having access to a microphone to record student performances will help us evaluate and critique our performances and identify areas of improvement which will enhance the overall sound quality and ability level of our ensembles! Thank you all for believing in the importance of music and the impact it has on our students."
Stay tuned for the next opportunity to lend your support.
