Courtesy of Andrew CampoThe Montezuma Cortez Middle School band, which has recieved many instruments from Bringing Music to Life, at a local high school football game.
“The thing I love about my beginners is they are so passionate.”
With 45 beginning players in a period, band Director Andrew Campo sees a lot of passion and energy!
In fact, Campo’s music program is a beacon for BMTL’s program to positively impact youth over the past dozen years. Campo has seen participation in band grow to nearly 50 percent of the school’s population. This last year alone saw 20 percent growth and he’s expecting even more next year.
Montezuma-Cortez Middle School sees about 240 students participate in the band out of its population of about 500. Campo says the band recently went to the town’s Veteran’s parade and practically shut the school down.
“Every other kid in school is in band. It’s crazy!”
Campo attributes that passion to the band room’s welcoming atmosphere and to the fact that the kids don’t have to purchase an instrument in order to participate. It’s an expense many in the school could not afford.
In fact, only about 10 of his 240 students own their instruments. The rest play instruments that have been donated, mostly through the Bringing Music to Life Instrument Drive.
“You just have to have the instruments,” says Campo.
“If you are interested in changing the trajectory of a youngster, there’s very little you could do that’s more impactful than giving an instrument away.”
Andrew Campo
“If you are interested in changing the trajectory of a youngster, there’s very little you could do that’s more impactful than giving an instrument away.”
Andrew Campo
Courtesy of Andrew CampoMontezuma-Cortez Middle School’s 2024 Winter Concert.
Last year the drive collected nearly 1,000 instruments. Of those, about 700 were repaired and awarded to 57 elementary, middle and high schools.
That brings the total number of instruments donated to over 8,000 since the inception of the drive more than a dozen years ago.
This year’s instrument drive is March 17-29. If you have a gently used band or orchestra instrument you’re not playing anymore, consider donating it so a child somewhere in Colorado can fall in love with music. That instrument could be used for many years, even decades, in a school music program.
“You see kids going down the wrong path. Then they get into band around kids who are like-minded and have a focus to learn skills, and you can see them change.”
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