A few good local men and women have proven that you don’t need
to be Bono or Beyonce to help save the music. All it takes is a
little altruism and maybe a good rummage through the attic.
Hollister – A few good local men and women have proven that you don’t need to be Bono or Beyonce to help save the music. All it takes is a little altruism and maybe a good rummage through the attic.
In response to a recent Free Lance article concerning a shortage of musical instruments at Hollister School District, several community members have stepped forward with donations of money, instruments and accessories.
“This has opened so many doors for the students,” said Susan Chizek, music teacher at six elementary schools in the district. “(Music) will be an outlet that feeds their soul, that they can carry with them their entire life. You can’t play football when you’re 85, but you can be a part of music in your community forever.”
At least four concerned citizens have decided to help so far.
John Pierce donated two French horns with extra mouth pieces, as well as valve oil, several books and a metronome. Shannon Grissom donated a flute, and is currently scouring eBay for two more. Olga Schipper has offered a “blank check” to pay for the cost of a new flute, and another donor has donated $25, with a promise of more on the way.
“I was struck when I read that the children were learning to play the flute on pencils,” said Schipper, 83. “And that weekend I saw a picture in the (San Francisco) Chronicle of three children playing a saxophone, trombone and a flute. I had donated a saxophone and a trombone in the past, and I thought the time was right for me to give a flute.”
Schipper herself played the saxophone from 3rd grade through high school.
“My experience with music was very important to me as a country child,” she said. “I never forgot it.”
Her son would dabble with the same saxophone she played as a child, and later the instrument would travel to her grand-nephew in Arizona before being donated to the Hollister School District’s program. Schipper payed $100 for it in 1930. The starting price for a saxophone today is $1,000, with famous brands selling for up to $3,000.
“So many students can’t afford these instruments,” Chizek said. “And even when a family can afford them, many are hesitant to spend that much money on something they don’t know if their nine-year-old will stick with.”
Schipper believes her donation and the generosity of others can prompt involvement from others in the community.
“I hope more people will contribute,” she said. “At the very least, music keeps you out of trouble, as a kid. It gives you a little confidence. It’s too bad that the money is being taken from music in the schools and going to a war, but we can all help.”
Chizek came across a study released in 1994 which has fueled her ambitions with local music students.
“These studies found that 66 percent of students applying to college and considering a music major were accepted into medical school, while only 44 percent of biochemistry majors were accepted,” she said. “And they’ve found that musicians hardly ever get Alzheimer’s disease. There’s music therapy now that can bring memories back to Alzheimer’s patients who can’t remember anything else. It’s the same with kids; they don’t realize how much they’re learning when they play an instrument. They don’t realize how much of their brain is being used at once.”
No formal fundraising for the music program will begin until the new school year begins in a few weeks, but interested readers may contact Susan Chizek at 637-3255 to discuss donating instruments, funds or other supplies.
