Snares and Quads for the THS marching drum line

Moderation state
funded
Grant Applicant
Dan Dickerman
Grant Co-applicants
School Site
Grant Date
2019-08-01T12:00:00
Description

We are seeking funds to purchase drum equipment for the Truckee High School marching band. The marching drumline's snare drums (the highest in the drum line) and the tenor drums (carried in sets of 4 as a "quad") that the THS band uses have taken a beating for decades. They are showing distressing signs of wear and have become a hazard to the students. All of these drums are carried with shoulder harnesses, which are currently largely broken and held
together with duct tape, and the drums themselves are in need of replacement heads and hardware, along with other maintenance issues common in drums of this age. In the words of a student, “​the painful awkwardness of this equipment is significantly impacting these students' enjoyment of marching band”. ​Or as another student put it bluntly, ​“they are uncomfortable and simply sound bad”​. The hardware that connects the harnesses to the drums is nearly all
jury-rigged and the drums have been known to fall from the harness onto the ground in the middle of a parade, or a half-time show.

We hope to purchase 3 Pearl snare drums with carriers, along with 2 Pearl quad sets with carriers. This will outfit half of the overall drumline, with the other half of the drumline (the bass drums) being addressed through other funding sources and grants. Other possible funding sources include TEMPO (Truckee HS music booster group), Measure A, community donations, THS Boosters, and a grant request from TTCF.

Benefits of Program

The Truckee High School Marching Band would use this percussion equipment at all marching band events. This year's marching events included home football games, basketball games, the homecoming parade, the Dr. Seuss Day Parade at Truckee Elementary, and the "Day of Bands" at UC Berkeley. The snares and tenor drums outfit five percussion players with marching instruments, taking their place alongside the rest of the percussion section in support of the entire marching band.

Success of Program

Having new snare and tenor drums would allow the Truckee High band to retire its aging equipment, allowing all percussion students to continue to play, and the drum parts to maintain coverage as existing equipment continues to ages beyond use.

Implementation

Once funding is secured, we would be able to place the order with Absolute Music, and hope to take delivery before in time for next year’s marching season. This would allow players to have equipment in place for summer's marching band training and home football games, which usually precede the start of the academic school year.

Can you share this grant with your grade level or subject team?

The Truckee High School band spans all of grades 9–12 and the marching band is a unique program within the school, yet it is an integral part of school-wide and community events such as sporting events and parades.

Sustainability
This is a one time purchase, and we hope to gain many decades of use of this equipment, as we had of the previous sets.
Amount Funded
$2953.00
Individual Budget Items(s)
$2100 - 3 Pearl FFXM1412/AXN snare drums with carriers
$2420 - 2 Pearl PMTM0234/AXN quad sets with carriers
Budget Notes

Details of the pricing from Absolute music are attached, including options from other drum manufacturers, and quotes for additional equipment. Note that these quotes already include applicable taxes and delivery, which are not detailed separately on this form. After comparing many options and
quotes, the school pricing Absolute Music has extended to us offers a substantial discount, and we have a long-standing good working relationship with them.

Shipping
$0.00
Taxes
$373.00
Other funding sources

We have requested additional funds for the replacement drumline through Truckee High School Boosters, and a grant request with TTCF. We will also utilize community donations, TEMPO (THS Band Boosters), and Measure A funds to supplement the cost of the drumline.