Greeley-Evans School District 6 Receives $20,000 Instrument Donation
Greeley-Evans School District 6 received more than $20,000 in instruments today from a foundation committed to improving access to music education in public schools.
Newport Festivals Foundation, which produces the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, has partnered with Nathaniel Rateliff and Take Note Colorado to donate instruments to public music programs in Weld County. The donation is part of Newport Folk's "Revival" partnership with KEEN Footwear. For every pair of Keen's Newport Revival sandals sold, $50 go to Newport Festivals Foundation for instrument donations in deserving communities.
Newport Festivals worked with Nathaniel Rateliff, the Denver-based lead of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats, to identify a town in Colorado (in need of instruments, and Greeley was selected. With the help of the Bohemian Foundation, Take Note Colorado and Little Kids Rock – all foundations that help improve K-12 access to music education in Colorado – the instruments were delivered today to Chappelow Arts Magnet and the El Teatro Program at Northridge High School.
The equipment donated today included:
- Electric and acoustic guitars for Greeley West High School
- Instruments for the Mariachi Club at Brentwood Middle School
- Instruments and microphones for El Teatro, the multicultural/multilingual student group composed of high school students throughout District 6
- A traveling music lab for elementary school that includes instruments from many different cultures.
Take Note Colorado and Little Kids Rock will also help provide training to District 6 music teachers on how to use and teach some of the instruments that may be new to them.