Music in schools

[Darcy]

I have just dropped my daughter off at school to be there for an open evening. She is with her pink acoustic bass in the music room along with other kids showing what they have learnt etc (Mission impossible, Ode to Joy, Wild Thing and a basic 12 bar blues). I saw for the first time the state of the instruments they have and the lack of any funds. I ended up walking out with their one and only bass, a rather battered Westfield P bass, volume and tone pots missing only 3 strings and a broken nut, among other things and am going to get it (if I can) back into some kind of playable state.

I am seriously thinking of donating some equipment, well my Roland Bass cube 30 for a start (and it gives me an excuse to get a Line 6 for home ).

Anyone in the Dunstable area with any unwanted equipment, that could help?

[warwickhunt]

I teach in a school (Music and Maths among other things) and I can say that almost all state schools are in a similar position, so if you have any spare gear (not just in Dunstable) contact your local school and see if they could use your cast offs!

To give you some insight...

I am the co-ordinator for music in Key Stage 2 and 3 (4 year groups) with approx 120 kids in each year (480 kids in case you were struggling ). My budget for the year, for the whole school is £500. Yes that is £500 for the whole year to equip 480 kids! Out of that I have to purchase; books, paper and associated writing implements, I have to occasionally purchase drum skins (a kit donated by my drummer which he usually puts his old skins on), strings for guitars (the basses get strung with my cast offs) and heaven forbid that an instrument should break... A tambourine costs me £7-£10, Glockenspiel (plastic encased kids type) £27, keyboards £40... you get the idea.

Rather than using Freecycle or worse binning it, just a quick call could help out a school but please don't foist broken items onto them

A thank you from teachers everywhere!

[paul, the]

We had an Encore. I died inside when I picked that up.

We also had a keyboard amp that gave electric shocks.

You had to play all three acoustic guitars at once to be able to strum six open strings.


I donated them my practice amp when I no longer needed it.

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On the other hand, students were aloud to borrow the double bass and cellos.