South Jefferson Elementary School (SJE) students received assorted percussion instruments thanks to the Friends of Music. The donation is part of the group's ongoing grant program to support and promote music in schools.
The $440 donation provided students with a set of tunable hand drums, temple blocks, a vibraslap, and a pair of eight-inch cymbals. SJE Music teacher Pamela Shearer said the program is important for kids.
"This Friends of Music grant provides [our] students with musical opportunities which would not be possible through school funding," she said. "These experiences enhance the depth and breadth of their musical learning. [These instruments] will give the students more opportunities to play and create in music class."
Shearer plans to use the instruments across all grade levels to provide a variety of hands-on music experiences, including musical storytelling, creating and arranging music patterns, and accompanying songs.
The Friends of Music organization is a Shepherdstown-based, non-profit group founded in 1999 to support and promote musical excellence. It supports the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra, the only professional classical music orchestra in the Eastern Panhandle and one of only three such orchestras in West Virginia. You can learn more about the Friends of Music at www.friendswv.org.