Infuse U.S. Classrooms with Music for Learning!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for empowering us to pour our collective determination, inspiration, musical instruction and instruments into the lives of students and teachers, giving them a chance to improve their quality of life and learning everyday, and bringing them hope and a sense of joy. 

Because of your support, we are excited to report that we were able to bring a second summer of learning and fun through GITC’s intimate Summer Strummers Clubs at 12 different in-person school sites throughout the city of San Diego, as well as online for medically fragile students.  We were able to serve about 411 children total. These clubs lead to so much resilience, laughter, and fabulous student creativity! Parents sent us glowing reports through our post-program surveys. Here are two of many comments we received: The parent of a five year old said, “I have noticed a lot more interest in music in my child since starting the Strummers Club. I hear him humming the songs he’s learned in class throughout his day.”  And the parent of an eight year old commented, “Her interest has increased in music, in general.  It has helped with her everyday school work as well.”

This fall, thanks to you, we will be providing new online professional development trainings for teachers and support staff in general education and special education classrooms, for homebound, medically fragile students, and for students who have been removed from an unsafe home environment and need transitional support. These include Total Beginner courses in Spanish, using Spanish songs, and some exciting new implementation courses includingPersonalized Songwriting for Experienced Classroom Songwriters, and Nurturing Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom with Music.  We are planning additional teaching artist residencies in San Diego and Los Angeles, and continuing to expand our program for medically fragile students. We are only able to do this with your ongoing generosity. If you’re excited about helping hundreds of students gain access to free musical learning, please stay with us to support an exciting launch to the new school year.

Thank you for encouraging us to keep going.  With your support, we are going to turn our attention to opening up more musical classrooms in remote and rural school districts where learning to make music with GITC can broaden children’s horizons, building skills, curiosity, and creativity that may open doors to college-level study and professional work in music after high school graduation. We will also continue working in economically disadvantaged urban schools, delivering hope, responsive instruction, and free musical instruments to students living below the poverty line.

We deeply appreciate your ongoing generosity! Let’s team up to make a huge impact for kids and teachers this Fall. Thank you for your blessings, and for your commitment to doing good in the world with us.

 With deepest appreciation,

Jess and Gail

Dear Friend in Music,

Thank you for empowering us at GITC to pour our collective determination, inspiration, musical instruction and instruments into the lives of students and teachers over the summer. Your kindness has provided so many with free programs and instruments this summer, bringing hope and restoring joy. Our pandemic recovery programs have been working! Now we need to bring this vibrant, motivating musical learning to students as they tackle a new school year filled with academic challenge and opportunities to grow.

Looking back, we are excited to report that thanks to you, we were able to bring a second summer of learning and fun through GITC’s intimate Summer Strummers Clubs at 12 different in-person school sites throughout the city of San Diego, as well as online for medically fragile students.  We directly 411 children, the majority of whom qualified for special pandemic recovery enrichmentl.

GITC Strummers Clubs led to so much resilience, laughter, and fabulous student creativity! Parents sent us glowing reports through our post-program surveys. Here are two of many comments we received: The parent of a five year old said, “I have noticed a lot more interest in music in my child since starting the Strummers Club. I hear him humming the songs he’s learned in class throughout his day.”  And the parent of an eight year old commented, “Her interest has increased in music, in general.  It has helped with her everyday school work as well.” Please enjoy the drawing done by a child in our program as part of teaching students to expand upon the ideas in songs they like by writing additional verses. This first grader wrote a clever new verse to "Row Your Boat!"

This autumn, thanks to you, we will be providing 15 more free online professional development (PD) courses for teachers and support staff. Your donation can help us cover the expense of this work. As always, we will welcome anyone serving students in general and special education classrooms, in home hospital programs for medically fragile students, and for students who have been removed from an unsafe home environment and need transitional support. No prior musical experience is required for incoming beginners.

The fall PDs include Total Beginner courses, including a new one taught in Spanish, and teaching Spanish songs for dual immersion classrooms. We are also offering 6 levels of instruction in ukulele, and guitar, and some exciting new implementation courses including Singing, Songleading and Songwriting with Students, How to Teach Ukulele in Your Classroom, and Nurturing Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom with Music. 

In addition to these PDs, we are planning co-teaching artist residencies in San Diego and Los Angeles to build independent music leadership skills in teachers. We can only accomplish these mentoring residencies with generous support. So if you’re excited about helping hundreds of students gain access to free musical learning, we hope you will stay with us this school year! 

We deeply appreciate your blessings and your commitment to bringing the power of music to classrooms where it can engage, teach, and inspire students to do their very best.

With respect and gratitude,

Jess