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STRIKE UP THE BAND!
Supporters of the River City Blue
Band start unique program to provide instruments for every student who wants to play.
By Jan McDonald
Reprinted with permission of The Demopolis Times
Phil Bonds faced a band program already a
month behind schedule when he stepped in as Demopolis High School's band director in
August.
The first football game was only a few weeks away, and he had to
get his students ready to perform.
He also had to face a band program which is struggling without
the resources to provide expensive band instruments to those students who would love to
play but don't have the money to buy or lease an instrument.
The new director met up with former band director and Demopolis
physician Dr. Larry Thead. The two of them brainstormed on ways to solve the problem
and came up with what Bonds believes is a "novel idea for the program."
What he is setting up is a depository for used band instruments.
"I think it's a great idea."
Dr. Thead referred to it as "the Bargain Box of musical
instruments."
He is asking all former band members to take a look in closets
and attics and find all those instruments no longer in use.
Then those former musicians can donate the trumpets and
clarinets and trombones to DHS and get a tax deduction for their generosity.
Bonds has no doubt there are plenty of instruments no longer in
use that could benefit the DHS program.
"My personal experience is that usually close to 10 percent
of the high school is in a band program," he said, "and I'm willing to bet
that's a low estimate."
As word has gotten out about the project, support is growing,
said Bonds. One clarinet already has been donated to the cause.
He is looking for "any instrument that no one is using,
folks are planning to do away with, in that closet or in the attic," he explained.
If they are donated to the band, "we'll make good use of
them."
Bonds said many students would like to take part in band
activities, but "there are some folks that aren't as blessed as others."
He sees the donation program as a win-win situation. The
students get instruments, and the donor gets a tax write-off and the satisfaction of
knowing his instrument got a second life.
Music instruments have gotten more and more expensive, said the
band director. DHS owns a few of the larger, more expensive instruments such as
tubas, marching percussion drums and baritone saxophone which can cost in excess of $2,000
each.
As it stands now students who take band get their own
instruments if they choose to play the clarinet or brass such as trombones or trumpets.
Most use a lease purchase agreement.
Under the proposed donor plan for the DHS band, students would
pay a nominal rental fee to cover the cost of repair.
Bonds recognizes that some of the donated instruments may not be
in pristine condition and he is ready to do some of the repairs himself.
He also hopes he can do some bartering with professional
instrument repairmen.
The primary reason for trying to get more instruments is to get
more students playing them. This year's River City Blue Band has 62 musicians on the
field, heavy in the freshmen and sophomore classes. Bonds even has 13 seventh and
eighth graders marching.
"As the fine arts program in the school goes, so goes the
system," added Dr. Thead.
Bonds is trying to set up a two-year feeder program, where
students who take band in grades 6 and 7 can move into the marching band program in the
eighth grade.
"We'll build from what we've got. I see improvement
every week."
Because the band program got a late start this year, the full
halftime program has yet to be presented to the Demopolis Tiger fans seated in Memorial
Stadium.
Bonds is working with the musicians and will "add to the
show slowly as the year goes on."
Anyone who is interested in donating an instrument -- or money
to help repair and maintain instruments -- is asked to call Bonds at the high school,
289-0294. |