Schools

Middle School Seeks Donations For Music Library

Instruments, recordings, equipment welcome at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School

The new band director at the is hoping the school’s music library can benefit from spring cleaning going on around the region.

David Brush, a general music teacher and band director who joined the faculty for the 2010-2011 year, put out the notice to employees of the and is asking for help from the public. Brush is looking for records, CDs, cassettes, instruments, and musical equipment which can be put to use in the class and band.

Brush said his wish list includes the more expensive instruments such as tubas, baritone horns, and saxophones. However, he said he has already seen some welcome answers to the call. His office now includes a turntable, additional CDs, a guitar, a flute, and a clarinet; the music library has “taken on a life of its own.”

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“In a district like this, people really feel like helping out, which is great,” he said.

Brush said the general music class does not play instruments, but that he may be bringing in some aspects such as an African drum circle. The class’s concepts include music theory and music history, so the music library is beneficial for instructing about different music genres. He said the equipment is good for showing students of the iPod era how music was once played.

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“I think it would be cool for kids to experience not only the music, but the technology that was present when the music was first introduced,” he said.

Brush said the band meets every other day as a class. He said he feels that music can be a strong incentive for some students and even play a role in keeping them in school. He has also been working with the to help students transition from one band to the other, especially since the high school band has been excelling in competitions.

Brush said he is willing to visit residences personally to pick up donations during the summer months. He can be reached at brushd@newlondon.org.


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