A Postcard from Rouse

On December 8th I wrote a post entitled "The Other Side of Rouse" about the irony of the Oakland Mills High School Music Department giving a concert to benefit needy children while a substantial portion of their own members could not afford to go on their school trip to Nashville, Tennesee.

School parent Ann Faust set up a Go Fund Me account to raise the money to support students who might otherwise be excluded. She wrote:

As many of you know my children attend Title 1 schools, with very diverse and rich kaleidoscope of families. One of the most important things about Title 1 schools is that we have more lower-income families in our schools.

This is true in Oakland Mills High School, yet it is also true that even if we go to the games with non-matching socks, or play our music with mostly lender instruments we still manage to get our name on the top. When our musicians attend to any kind of adjudication they usually come home with superior results. Our children are bright, determined and pushing boundaries to be able to start their young lives from the best possible point.

Our parents, just like our students, are helping our school to success in every possible way, but at times like this we are falling short to support all of our students.

Today I am standing before you and asking money to allow 15 of my music students ($645.00 for each student) to be able to go to our school’s bi-annual trip to experience playing in a huge university auditorium, experience campus life, talk with current students and lecturers in Nashville, Tennessee in Spring 2016. Our Fine Arts Boosters work really hard to support as many of these students as possible, alas as Title 1 school parents, our pockets are going only so far, and these 15 students themselves have not many other way of raising this money.

Please remember; for many of these students this will be the first time in their lives where they will experience –however short it may be, and in some cases may be the only time- a university life.

Remember this can be the experience this 15 students need to make that one important contact, that will open doors for them, that may have not be possible before.

Since I shared this on the blog, and appealed to my readers to help out, I wanted to share the outcome. This weekend Mrs. Faust has accompanied the music students on their trip. She's been sending photos and updates along the way.

I wish I could bring the actual sound and feelings flowing through this wonderful venue. You, like many of us here, for sure couldn't help but swell with joy and pride.

Thank you Oakland Mills for supporting our children. Because of your support of; love, time and money these kids showed what a wonderful place Oakland Mills is to Nashville, TN!

Thank you once again.

The "diverse and rich kaleidoscope" of Columbia ventures out into the world, sharing the gift of music. Thanks to all of you who invested in their journey.