Help Support Underfunded Music Programs!

Hi! My name is Tanisha Taneja, and I am a rising senior at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, FL. I attend a Title I High School where a lack of funds and damaged instruments are obstacles in our band program. Our students are motivated musicians, but broken instruments often stop them from reaching the next level.

My goal is to raise money for Title I (underfunded) schools with music programs to ensure students can reach their full potential. These funds would go directly to purchase instruments and materials for music programs!

Jonathan Sims, Director of Bands and Orchestra at Hillsborough High School, explains the situation in our music program. “The majority of our students are relying on school-owned instruments. These are purchased by the county, oftentimes only once every 5-10 (or more) years, and rented by students. As you can see, some of these instruments are in desperate need of repair or replacement. Some have not been repaired since the year 2000! Many are rusted, missing parts, or cracked. The students pay a small rental fee to use the instrument all year, but some students are unable to pay that due to financial difficulty, which leaves the band in a tough situation deciding which instruments to fix. The county also donates a small amount to each school to be used, but with a band of approximately 100 students, we are always fundraising and searching for ways to provide our students with higher quality, working instruments.”

Here are a few pictures of instruments at our school:

By making a donation, you will be helping music students obtain an instrument and improve as a musician.

The goal of this initiative is to bring our music community together and build up music programs. Please show your support by donating and sharing this message!

Thank you for your time!