(back)

Students rallying to raise $150,000 for new instruments

If the young members of a musical group can’t toot their own horn, then who can? In fact, Kyrene Corridor-based Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts will be tooting its fund-raising horns as part of an upcoming campaign to raise $150,000 for new brass instruments.

The campaign, labeled “Be Instrumental,” asks potential sponsors to help change the lives of young people by sponsoring an instrument and having their names engraved on an instrument for 10 or more years.

“Right now, 60 young adults are anxiously waiting for an instrument,” says Executive Director Mark Richardson.

“They want to play it this summer in Arizona Academy’s Summer Brass and Percussion Ensemble, the nucleus of our future Drum and Bugle Corps,” says Richardson. “They’ll be guiding their lives along a creative, socially fulfilling path.”

Membership in the group can yield profound results, says Richardson.

“Many Drum Corps graduates will tell you that the teamwork, dedication and emotion they gave turned their lives around. It inspired them, giving them integrity and self-esteem.

“The experience literally transformed them into disciplined, confident, socially responsible adults.”

As a contributor, sponsors get dividends, too, says Richardson.

“These custom-designed and tuned instruments last 10 years or more, so they’ll be played by many young adults. And since we’ll engrave your name on an instrument, you could be marching with them in every competition for 10 years or more.”

To date, the academy has raised $50,000, or one third, of  the total dollars needed to accomplish this effort.

The group needs to raise an additional $100,000 by April 15 in order to have these instruments available for this year’s appearance at the 2002 Summer Music Games, said Richardson.

 Anyone interested in sponsoring an instrument should contact Mark Richardson at (480) 232-5078 or the Academy website at www.arizonaacademy.org.

(back)