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Teacher Testimonials
Joan HadeishiI am grateful to the Hercules Education Foundation for their generous support of the Hercules Elementary Music programs at Hanna Ranch, Lupine Hills and Ohlone Elementary Schools. As these students’ first instrumental/ensemble music teacher, I start most of them on their musical journeys. As with any discipline, there are so many things for these students to learn, most cannot pick up an instrument and immediately start playing with any facility. And even if a student has previously played piano or another instrument, there are so many things to learn to play as an ensemble, a group of musicians playing the same work simultaneously and producing a recognizable, tuneful work. The Foundation made a one time $1,000 grant in 2022 to partially fund podiums at all 3 schools. The PTAs made up the balance. A podium is a small platform but has much meaning for band and orchestral musicians. All musicians learn to immediately direct their full, quiet attention to any person who stands on the podium in front of them. Teaching that to a group of noisy, excited 4th or 5th graders is an onerous but necessary task and nearly impossible without the actual podium present. For the director, the added height allows one to see more of what the students are doing and makes the director more visible to the students. “Watch!” Is an oft issued command at all levels. The Foundation’s annual donations of $400 in 2024 and 2025 allowed Lupine Hills Elementary to first acquire a full class set of solid desk music stands. Lupine Hills was the only school in Hercules using foldable, wire stands that would topple and not hold sheet music well. It has been lovely to have this resource. The 2025 donation was used for a necessary service, piano moving. Lupine Hills needed two reliably working pianos, the one in the multipurpose room is literally hanging on by a string. It has several broken strings that the technician managed to tie together that are miraculously holding. Replacing strings would cost far more than what the piano is worth. Into this situation appeared a brand-named piano owned by musicians who wanted to donate it where it would be of use. Their only stipulation was that it be moved by professional piano movers. The movers delivered the new piano to Lupine Hills’ music room and moved the sturdy workhorse district piano that was missing a wheel to the multipurpose room. It is lovely to play the nice piano with my classes, I use the piano frequently in my instruction. The photo shows me in the Lupine Hills music room playing the piano along with one of my violin classes. The solid music stands are visible. A corner of the podium is barely visible in the front of the room. I appreciate HEF’s role in so greatly improving my music students’ experience!
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