October 16, 2009
West Park Secondary Receives “Band-Aid”
West Park Secondary School in St. Catharines will be tuning up the band with a $10,000 grant from MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity. The funding will be used to purchase new instruments for the school’s Instrumental Music program.
Music teacher Gwen Stickney says news of the grant was certainly music to her ears. “We have a relatively young instrumental program at West Park, but it is extremely popular. Finding enough instruments for each student has been a challenge. This grant will help us meet the needs of our students who are showing a strong interest in music education,” she says.
Stickney says the grant money will be used to invest in new bass, woodwind and percussion instruments for the program. “We will be planning our purchases to ensure this grant benefits as many students as possible,” explains Stickney.
“We are very appreciative of this funding,” says Lynda Baiano, West Park Principal. “Music education plays an important role in the curriculum; it enhances cognitive development and provides students with a creative outlet to express themselves with.”
MusiCounts is dedicated to ensuring that young Canadians, regardless of background or socio-economic circumstances, have the opportunity to experience the joy of music, explore their talent and build self-esteem. In total, MusiCounts will provide 60 schools across Canada with Band-Aid grants during the 2009-2010 school year.