Yuba City High music teacher seeks help to reach more students

"How to get instruments into the hands of more high school students was the dilemma on Yuba City High Principal Martin Ramirez's mind." continues Appeal-Democrat.

Photo: Appeal-Democrat

YCHS offered orchestra and band classes, both classes better suited for students with previous experience playing and reading music.

"Typically, if you haven't had a music class and been learning music in elementary school, you're already done by the time you get to high school," Ramirez said.

Ramirez brought the problem to band director Ted Zalkind, who is starting his third year at the school, and they devised a plan to reach musical novices through a guitar class. They hoped to get 25 students interested, enough to have one class period — 58 signed up.

Zalkind will teach two classes of guitar when school begins Aug. 12, but there is a problem: He needs more instruments.

So far, Zalkind has 10 guitars for the class, but he needs at least 25 for a full classroom set and hopes to have enough so each student can be assigned his or her own guitar.

"We want the students to be able to check out their guitar, take it home and practice," Zalkind said. "If we only have one set, we can maybe send one home on the weekend."

Zalkind is looking into possible funding sources to purchase some guitars, but he hopes people with unused guitars will donate to the program.
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Source: Appeal-Democrat