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Band Needs A Hand!
By Robert C.J. Parry | May 11, 2008
Among the many side debates in the current Monrovia… ahem…. disruption of tranquility…. is the matter of just what makes a community. To wit, what role does the community as a whole have in things like preventing crime and disrupting the cycle of gang violence?
To be sure, libraries, sports and the arts all have a place in the equation. The Monrovia Library is about to be re-incarnated in a brand spankin’ new facility, thanks to a $50 per parcel assessment voters approved last year (notably, many of those most vociferously against the police raise on fiscal grounds are the same who most ardently backed the library assessment).
High school sports, of course, gets a lot of attention. The Tribune/Star News have at least two blogs dedicated to this subject alone, and much of their sports page is built on that coverage. Fortunately, Monrovia’s programs have done relatively well, in general.
On the arts side, at the upper end, Monrovia is thriving. Groups like MAFA and talented artists like Frazgo are building something wonderful. Youth arts programs, however have long suffered. To be very clear, this is a California thing, if not an America thing, certainly not a Monrovia thing. But, the close fight is where a single soldier can have the most impact.
And, that’s where some of you might want to turn your attention.
For a variety of reasons, the Monrovia High School Marching Band can use a few bucks. Membership in the band costs each student several hundred dollars a year. They need a variety of equipment. Uniforms aren’t cheap. Transporting all that gear and all those kids to competitions is expensive.
And, what do we as a community get in return? Well, we have a band to call our own. Christmas and Monrovia Day parades have great sounds. Our Memorial Day features a wonderful live sound track. And our kids learn about math and team work and so much more.
This past Saturday afternoon. The band held a community fundraiser at Monroe School, and we dropped by for a tasty tri-tip. Maribel and I talked to Daniel Magallenas, MHS Band Director about the band’’s needs. It turns out that recenetly, the Marching Wildcats have suffered a couple of set backs. Their travel trailer was damaged by vandals, making an already aged asset non-mission capable. Plus, the onging state budget crisis isn’t helping - the district is doing the best it can, but there are only so many dollars to go around. Besides, the bulk of the nearly six-figure band operating budget has long relied on boosters and community donations.
So, as they head into the summer, and begin preparations for next Fall’s football games and competition season, perhaps you can reach into your wallet and send them a few bucks to cover some of those expenses.
The Marching Wildcats experience will shape the lives of hundreds of young Monrovians for decades to come. You can be a part of it.
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Topics: Main Page, Monrovia, Uncategorized |
May 12th, 2008 at 6:31 am
This is easy to support. Marching bands are HUGE where I am from, and I was in one from junior high through high school. Most band kids are good kids, too.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:39 am
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “upper end”. Monrovia Association of Fine Arts has put a lot of personal time and money into the schools for art education.
In fact for the last several years the Village After School Art Project which MAFA funds has provided art education to 10% of the elementary school kids. Absent VASAP these kids would not have had any formal art classes.
MAFA has funded and supported a variety of Art Classes for kids at the Boy’s and Girls Club and other schools in the area as well.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Frazgo-
The infrastructure for established, accomplished artists like yourself is beginning to thrive through MAFA, etc. To be sure, without MAFA there would be little arts wise in town (as it is with many areas). I’d like to see the feeder system grow through community support of groups like the MHS band, that’s all.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I don’t know about established and accomplished but will take the compliment.
The band needs help just like any other item that was part of a curriculum when we were in school. If the state can’t fund them then we as parents and members of the community need to do it.
Band has a pretty good support group in place but they need all sorts of help in good times. I wasn’t aware their trailer had been vandalized. Of course if they need something for auction they can hit me up.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Robert,
Thank you so much for the support. It is encouraging to hear feedback from the community we are so proud to represent.
If you would permit a bit of shameless self-promoting, allow me to direct any of your interested audience to our website: www.monroviamusic.org. Here you will find our performance schedule, videos and plenty of other information.
Frazgo- Thank you as well for your offer; we will likely take you up on it in the near future.