Pueblo Song Writers and Musicians Association


"Today's Musicians Forging Tomorrow's Music"

PO BOX 8054 Pueblo Colorado 81008-8054

ADOPT A MUSIC STUDENT PROGRAM

Click link to the right for the Adopt A Music Student Benefit Page with an article from this years host and band pictures & schedules from the 2003 & 2004 Benefits! Plus, the 2005 Benefit schedule in progress!

Pueblo Songwriters and Musicians Association Adopt a Music Student Program Instruments for aspiring Children in the surrounding school districts to further their education and interest in the performance arts.

Learning a musical instrument provides many building blocks for growth such as patience, discipline, eye-hand coordination, facilitating higher learning areas in the brain, the ability to communicate and work within a structured environment, and develop the skill of group participation. These are all admiral qualities to offer a young mind. A musical instrument can be a rewarding experience and a safety net for youths that are searching for a role or purpose in this confusing time of adolescence. Perhaps an avenue of self-expression that might help avoid drugs, gang activity, behavioral problems, depression and suicidal tendencies that plague our future generation.

PSMA’s Adopt a Music Student Program is a good and worthwhile effort that offers Pueblo’s community members a chance with the help and guidance of it’s own.

How can we increase turnout and attract more to come forth and participate in this honorable task? In the past these benefits have been conducted in bars, in the evening, with predominantly rock bands performing. After all this is a benefit for children so we might want to have children join in and their parents come see them. Do parents want to come to a bar with their kids at night? Maybe we need a nice sunny afternoon in a park or riverwalk under a gazebo enjoying a group of young brass and woodwind students, showing what they have been working on for the last semester at school. With benches and a grassy knoll filled with parents, siblings and grandparents all there, to witness the accomplishments. “Seeing is believing”, and what better way of persuading people to donate, then to spark their imagination of their own progeny’s potential.

A re-assessment of planning procedures is being implemented in order to make this event more successful. A proper campaign of advertising giving it a higher profile, with the emphasis on children involvement rather than professional rock bands. We as an association needs to be more economic with our energies, after all we are volunteering our time and energies for the love of it, so why work any harder than necessary.

This campaign should be taken to the schools to promote their involvement; after all they benefit too. More instruments, bigger band, more demand on teacher involvement and hence, more interest from parents. If music departments were as popular as sports departments there would, for certain, be more money. What a concept! The instruments that we provide end up in the district schools, so it seems logical to try and get the districts involved. Administrators would benefit from the exposure they would receive from our events. There schools would be highlighted and they could profess to fostering the “No Child Left Behind” motto so popular in the Bush campaign.

As president of PSMA, there demands guidance and a path so that the Board of Directors eliminates spinning its wheels unnecessarily. At present we are solidifying the adoption of a committee just for that purpose. An Adopt a Music Student Program committee, addressing the special needs for this event and future growth of this program.

Peter Burg - President

Bonnie Herrera Trombone, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Brittany Ruybalid Trumpet, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Niklass Spinuzzi Trombone, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Marisa Kemm Trumpet, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Violet Mendosa Trumpet, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Taylor Sandoval Riggle Clarinet, 2/2005 Goodnight Elementary Pueblo, CO

Adopt a Music Student Program Facts Sheet

The program was put into motion at a PSMA board meeting in December of 1999.

The intent and goal is to provide needy or underprivileged children in the Pueblo community with musical instruments in which they can use in their area schools’ music programs.

To promote music by helping children be exposed to music for the future generation.

1st Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Side Pocket 4111 Club Manor Drive, July 14 & 15, 2000
2nd Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Side Pocket 4111 Club Manor Drive, June 1 & 2, 2001
3rd Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Side Pocket 4111 Club Manor Drive, July 26 & 27, 2002
4th Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Side Pocket 4111 Club Manor Drive, July 25 & 26, 2003
5th Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Ted Calantino’s Irish Brew Pub
& Grille, September 17 & 18, 2004
6th Annual Adopt a Music Student Benefit, Famous Saddle Saloon & Hot Rod Cafe, 1725 W. Pueblo Blvd., October 14th & 15th, 2005.

All these benefits raised money by charging an entrance fee at the door.

PSMA takes 10% of the total and puts it into the PSMA fund and all the rest is put in a separate Adopt a Music Student fund.

How money is dispersed is based on the number of applications that are submitted through out the year and those that qualify on a “need basis”. This is determined by the number in household, annual income, reason for instrument, brief description on students’ desire to pursue music and the school and music program they will be attending. (Assessment of income is based on the nations’ poverty level in relation to all information given on application. The board reviews the application and a vote is taken.)

Other money that is generated comes from the “Donation Jar” at the weekly Open Mic and the monthly Acoustic and Electric Galleries, held at the Ted Calentino’s Irish Brew Pub & Grille, 108 West 3rd Street.

The cost of instruments varies and is determined by retailer, make, model and type, new or used, and standard or unusual. Student violins and acoustic guitars wholesale around $65.00, a student trumpet wholesale around $150 - $200.00, Alto Saxaphones wholesale around $600.00, Clarinets wholesale around $200.00, and student trombones wholesale around $350.00.

Ray Bolte from Rapid Electronics has been obtaining many of these instruments for us at wholesale prices through his dealerships with Music Corp., Harris Tellar and Shar Music Corp. Thus, passing on the savings to PSMA at zero profit for his company to make the money this program has, stretch a lot further! Thanks Ray! Sometimes we have to go through retail music stores to find what we need.

Private donations are excepted in any amount desired. They can be sent
to; PSMA. P. O. Box 8054, Pueblo, CO. 81008

PSMA is under the umbrella of the Pueblo Arts Councils’ Non-Profit Status and is currently completing its’ own 501 C3 application.

In 2004 PSMA was a recipient of the “Excellence in the Arts” Award from Pueblo Arts Council, in recognition for its’ contribution to Pueblo’s art community.

Thank you for you interest and I hope this has answered your inquiries.

Peter Burg, President

Cynthia Quintero Flute, 6/2005 Highland Park Elementary Pueblo, CO Mark Griego Flute, 6/2005 Hellbeck Elementary Pueblo, CO Andrew Graham Alto Sax, 10/2005 Rye Elementary Rye, CO

Colt Bradstreet Trumpet, 10/2005 Goodnight Elementary Pueblo, CO Tristan Thompson Clarinet, 10/2005 Goodnight Elementary Pueblo, CO

Robert Sanchez Trombone, 10/2004 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Amanda Galpin Clarinet, 11/2004 Craver Middle School, Colo. City

Samantha Phillips Trombone, 11/2004 Highland Park Elementary Pueblo, CO

Benjamin McDaniel 4/4 Violin, 2/2005 Fountain Elementary Pueblo, CO

Buford Blocker Flute, 2/2005 Carlile Elementary Pueblo, CO

Beulah Elementary 2 Flutes 1 Clarinet 1 Snare Drum Kit 3/2005

Telisa Alverez Clarinet, 10/2005 Roncalli Middle School, Pueblo

Click on the

to INQUIRE or EASILY report site problems please.