Friends of Music has given Mountain Ridge Middle School a $400 grant to purchase four keyboards. The keyboards are being used by general music students to learn basic piano skills.
"Through this introduction to the keyboard, students can develop a deeper appreciation for learning a musical instrument and can pursue improving their skills through piano lessons," said music teacher Samantha Albright.
The accompanying photo shows a seventh-grade class with two of the keyboards purchased with money from the grant.
The donation is part of a Friends' grant program to support music education in Berkeley and Jefferson schools. The grants typically involve instruments and music supplies not covered by regular school budgets. The grants are awarded annually based on applications submitted by music teachers. Friends of Music appreciates Ecolab's generous support for this grant program.
The Friends of Music organization is a Shepherdstown-based, non-profit group founded in 1999 to support and promote musical excellence. It supports the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra, the only professional classical music orchestra in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and one of only three such orchestras in the state. Full information about the Friends is available at www.friendswv.org.