All through the month of February, the Santa Barbara Training Basis and native radio station 99.9 KTYD are teaming as much as accumulate musical devices and monetary donations to assist help music teaching programs within the district with the Hold the Beat instrument drive.
In 2003, the muse started elevating funds and gathering devices to help musical training in Santa Barbara Unified College District (SBUSD); at the moment, each pupil from kindergarten to sixth grade learns to play an instrument, which Santa Barbara Training Basis Growth Officer Melissa Davenport stated is a “rarity for California college districts.”
For the reason that begin of this system, the group has collected and distributed greater than 1,850 devices straight into the fingers of scholars in music packages in any respect district elementary, junior excessive, and excessive colleges.
For the previous 5 years, native rock station 99.9 KTYD has joined the Hold the Beat initiative with an on-air occasion to assist elevate consciousness for the drive and shine a highlight on native pupil {and professional} musicians each Friday in February. This month, visitor interviews will characteristic Glen Phillips of Toad the Moist Sprocket, saxophonist Lito Hernandez, multi-instrumentalist and composer Victor Murillo, and drummer Bucket Baker.
In 2021, the Hold the Beat instrument drive introduced in additional than $10,000 in funding and greater than 140 devices — with every thing from the standard trumpets, violins, and guitars to much less frequent devices like an electrical ukulele and didgeridoo.
“Each music pupil desires to play a specific instrument. Perhaps they join hoping to play the flute, trumpet, drums, or cello,” stated Stephen Hughes, a music instructor at La Colina Junior Excessive College. “When the faculties obtain devices from the Santa Barbara Training Basis, we can provide them on to our college students, who can start studying their dream instrument straight away.”
This yr’s drive started this Friday with an instrument assortment at Nick Rail Music (2801 De la Vina St.) from 11 a.m.-3 p.m and a particular version of 99.9 KTYD’s Morning Mojo present with on-air hosts Lin Aubuchon and Invoice Pesso.
At Nick Rail Music, piles of used devices started to pile up on the primary day of collections, together with a uncommon concertina, string devices, brass, and woodwinds. Subsequent Friday, February 10, the muse will accumulate devices at La Cumbre Junior Excessive from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
On Friday, February 17, the gathering web site will return to Nick Rail Music from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., then again to La Cumbre Junior Excessive for the ultimate assortment day on February 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
For individuals who are unable to make it to the gathering websites, or those that don’t have devices however need to help native music training, the Santa Barbara Training can also be accepting donations to assist restore and preserve devices at the moment in use by college students. Contributions additionally go towards specialists who work with college students in free after-school packages like BRAVO, and different low-cost music packages just like the Nick Rail Summer time Band Camp.
For extra data or to donate on-line, go to keepthebeatsb.org. To donate by way of telephone, textual content KEEPTHEBEAT to 44-321.
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