MVUSD Elementary Band Program Wins $5,000 Grant

Just a year ago, restoration of elementary band at Moreno Valley Unified was still in the planning stage. Now the reborn program serves almost 600 students from all 23 elementary schools, and it just won a $5,000 competitive grant from The Mockingbird Foundation to buy more instruments. “This grant will help provide instruments for students whose families may not be able to afford them,” explained Greg Solomon, MVUSD Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts. “We hope to help 20 more students each year enjoy making music for years to come.” High on the priority list of needed instruments are clarinets and trumpets, Solomon said. The $5,000 grant was one of just 13 new grants totaling $75,000 awarded by The Mockingbird Foundation in support of music education for children. The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer non-profit founded and run entirely by fans of the band Phish. The MVUSD grant comes from Mockingbird’s 19th round of competitive grant-making, which includes support from several band-related charities. This round of grants brings the Foundation’s total disbursements to more than $918,000.