Band Funding: What Can We Do To Help?

**All media below is the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**

Patches are necessary to cover the holes

Photo: Reif Bedford

Our band department has served as a source of entertainment and artistry for the past 54 years. It provides ample support for our football team, encourages school spirit during games, and organizes quality performances just for our enjoyment. Whether it be in a social setting or within the school walls, the band inspires a sense of community and friendship for everyone involved. So why is it independently funded?

For those who are unaware, our high school does not fund its band department. Instead, it’s forced to rely solely on fundraisers and concession stand profits. Most recently, the band hosted a mattress sale at the school, and before that, it was a t-shirt sale. Together, those fundraisers accumulated a decent profit for the band students, but left one major area lacking: the instruments. I enlisted the help of my friend and long-time band member, Molly Elmore, to find out which instruments were in dire need of maintenance or repair. She informed me that the low reeds –which are bass clarinets, bassoons, and bari saxophones – have been in poor condition for years. “They break weekly,” she recounts, “And are covered in patches and dents.”

The lip of the instrument has been cracked

Photo: Drew Plazcek

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with one of our band directors about the situation. Mrs. Palmer, who has worked at the school for 19 years, clarifies that “most of what we get comes from volunteers slinging popcorn and selling hot dogs.” In other words, instrument funding is almost exclusively provided for by concession stand profit. While this does bring in extra money, it still doesn’t cover for the instruments’ expensive renewals, which explains why many of them are in bad shape. These students deserve instruments worthy of their talents, especially because of how hard they work for the school.

According to Molly Elmore, students have to wake up early almost every morning to go to band practice. “It starts at 6:50,” she says, “Although most kids are up earlier than that to catch the bus.” They play through the heat, through the cold, and through the rain, yet are denied proper funding from the school. Surely something that gives so much to the students and faculty should be better taken care of though, right?

Dented brass instrument from years of use

Photo: Ebrahim Bazeddi

To further broaden my horizon, I decided to talk with a few band members about the positive impact that the band department has on our school. Junior and dedicated band student Pablo Velez Garcia reveals how being a part of the band has led him to “form a sense of community” with his peers. “That’s what the band is,” he continues, “A community of supportive, caring people.” Similarly, Kracke, a sophomore and 2-year band member at Vestavia Hills, states how “proud” he is of the program, claiming that it represents “a place where anyone can belong and not be criticized for who they are.” This is why supporting the band is so important. I’m not a band member, but whenever I spend time with them, I get a sense of how welcoming and united their environment really is. They work together, practice together, and perform together, all in an effort to share their love and passion for music with the rest of us.

So the next time you go to a football game, buy an extra bag of popcorn. Buy an extra Boston Butt during one of their upcoming fundraisers. Support our band the way that they support you, and in time, we can provide them with the funds that they deserve.