Griffin Park School receives $19,000 grant for new music instruments

A $19,000 grant through the MusiCounts BandAid Program has brought new instruments to Griffin Park School’s music room, replacing equipment students have used for decades.

The school is one of 10 recipients in Alberta and 96 across Canada sharing in $1.4 million in funding from MusiCounts.

The grant has replaced the school’s well used collection of Orff instruments, including xylophones and metallophones purchased when the building opened in the 1980s. Music teacher Ms. Jensen noted that after years of repairs, there was simply no room left for more duct tape.

Grade 2 student Esme Bernhard helped explain the need in a letter supporting the application, saying she wanted to “play an instrument that doesn’t go thunk!”

Students in Grades 1 through 5 are now using new glockenspiels, alto and bass xylophones, metallophones, contrabass bars and boomwhackers. They noticed the difference right away. One Grade 3 student compared the sound to wind chimes on his grandmother’s deck, while a Grade 5 student said the new instruments were much more pleasant to listen to than the old set.

Grasslands Public Schools extends a big thank you to Ms. Jensen for all her hard-work to secure the grant, along with Esme Bernhard and Assistant Superintendent Katie Graham for providing letters of support. We also thank MusiCounts for supporting Griffin Park’s music program and putting new instruments into the hands of students.