The Truckee HS Band program is growing every year. This school year we have 73 total students, compared to approximately 40 students when Mr. Steele arrived in 2014. The band needs to continue to augment its instrument inventory to support the growing number of students. Many instruments, such as flutes, clarinets, trumpets, etc. can be purchased with the department's annual Measure AA budget. However, the cost of other essential band instruments, such as the tuba, bassoon, baritone saxophone, piano, vibraphone, etc. far exceed the available annual budget provided by Measure AA. Therefore, we must rely on other sources, such as grants and donations.
The school currently owns 2 baritone saxophones, one of which is in great shape and the other is showing its wear and tear from years of student use. This year, an incoming Freshman student who had played baritone saxophone in middle school, requested to use one of the Truckee HS owned baritone saxophones but they were both already checked out to other high school students. Therefore, this student was unable to continue playing the instrument that he had been playing for the past several years, and had to pick a new instrument (tenor saxophone), to his disappointment. The objective of this grant, is to ensure that the Truckee HS band program has an additional baritone saxophone in its inventory so students, like the one mentioned above, can continue to play the instrument they have been playing since middle school. Adding a baritone saxophone to the instrument inventory is an essential action that will help continue to put instruments in the hands of students in our ever growing music program.