“Make your own kind of music.” Mama Cass Elliot of the “Mamas and Papas” first sang these words in 1969. Today the words still ring true for many Northshore music students, including those at Woodmoor Elementary.
Woodmoor music teacher Megan Cummings knows. She remembers September, 2020, when covid-19 was on the rise. She looked around her spacious music room and pondered. How could children learn to make music when “school” was so unsettling? The word “recorder” came to mind. And later, the word “Foundation.”
As a child, her first instrument, in 4th grade, was a recorder, given to her by her mother who taught music at West Hill Elementary School. “The recorder was a good starter enabling me and other kids to advance to wind instruments.” In Megan’s case, she moved on to the clarinet and to the bassoon. Another plus: recorders were the least expensive instrument. Now a dream began to stir in Megan’s mind—giving and placing recorders into the hands of third through fifth grade students at Woodmoor. Third graders could keep the same instrument for three years.
Caring for their own instrument was vital, Megan said. “They could see something and own something.”
Who could fund such a project? Northshore Schools Foundation. In September 2020 Megan began to crunch numbers. And not a minute too soon. “The kids were disconnected. We were struggling,” Megan said. Her deadline to submit the grant application was January 1. She compared prices and presented a rationale to The Foundation. And yes, she met her deadline. The Foundation was speedy in approving the request and ordering the recorders. The bill was $1000, which included some extra recorders for future years.
The end of February the recorders were passed out. Yay! What a celebration! The students could make music on their own instruments! They wrote thank-you notes to the Foundation. One student bought Megan an instructional book on recorders.
Megan also thanks her fellow music teachers and Woodmoor’s administration for their support. Special kudos go to the Foundation. “The Foundation came in at the last minute. This project wouldn’t have happened without them.”