CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Jefferson County Schools extends its gratitude to the Friends of Music for donating three glockenspiels and accompanying stands to South Jefferson Elementary School. SJE music teacher Pamela Shearer requested the glockenspiels for her students to bring balance to the ensembles, reducing the need for students to share instruments.
"This Friends of Music grant is invaluable for our school program," said Ms. Shearer. "Sharing an instrument can restrict the development of musical creativity and higher-level thinking skills in our students. I was also able to purchase enough folding music stands for each pair of students in a class to have one to use for reading and composing activities."
The gift is part of a Friends of Music grant program to support music education in Eastern Panhandle schools through the purchase of instruments and music supplies not covered by regular school budgets. The Shepherdstown-based nonprofit group also provides scholarships to talented local students pursuing music degrees.
The Friends of Music was 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 of West Virginia and one of only three such orchestras in the state. More information about the organization is available at www.friendswv.org.