Why Give to the Bands?
In Santa Monica, we are fortunate to have a school district that supports the arts. At the high-school level, SMMUSD provides funding for two full-time band directors, partial funding for color guard instruction, and a small stipend for an instructional aide in band classrooms for a few hours per week.
To supplement what the district provides, the Samohi Band Parents Association (BPA) seeks donations and raises funds to help deliver the highest possible quality music education to our students. On average, the Samohi Band Parents Association (BPA) spends
- $250 per pupil per year on the concert band program
- $850 per pupil per year on marching band and color guard
- and $200 per pupil per year on jazz band.
What does this pay for? Well, you may have heard the expression “Stuff vs. Staff” in relation to fundraising at SMMUSD schools.* For the Samohi Band program, the BPA pays for both stuff AND staff.
Stuff
- Music folders and stands
- Photocopies (the BPA pays a third of the cost to own, supply, and maintain a photocopier used by the Samohi band, choir and orchestra directors)
- Band room lockers and related supplies
- New instrument purchases
- School-owned instrument repairs and supplies
- Concert programs
- Student awards
- Concert, marching, and jazz festival entry fees (our directors must pay school participation fees so that our students can audition for all-southern and all-state honor groups)
- Marching band & guard uniforms and supplies
…and Staff
- Full-time percussion instructor for all five concert band classes
- Jazz Band II instructor
- Concert band festival adjudicators/clinicians
- Partial funding for the color guard caption head & color guard tech
- Marching band percussion caption head & percussion tech
- Marching band visual caption head & two visual techs
- Miscellaneous concert and jazz band clinicians
* Re: “Stuff vs. Staff” in SMMUSD — In general, the PTAs raise funds for necessary “stuff” such as supplies, books, and equipment at school sites, while your donations to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation fund additional staff and programs at each school. For the Samohi Band program, the BPA pays both.
Please keep in mind that all Samohi musicians may participate in all aspects of the band program, regardless of their family’s ability or willingness to donate.
Additional ways to support the bands:
Community Fundraising
Click on this link to update your settings for Ralphs rewards card contributions: Ralphs Community Contributions
Click on this link to learn how you can earn contributions for the Samohi bands by shopping through eScrip.
Do you prefer to pay with services like Apple Pay? You can earn money for the Bands by purchasing gift cards with Benefit Mobile, and use those cards to pay with your phone!
Click on this link to learn more about: Benefit Mobile.
Bands at the Broad Silent Auction
Each year, Bands at the Broad helps the Samohi Band program raise funds for travel scholarships for concert band students. In the Spring of 2020, the Samohi Wind Symphony will perform at Sonoma Invitational Wind Band Festival at Sonoma State University.
Click HERE to donate an item or service to this important fundraiser.
I have a quilt with a funky drum player in the middle surrounded by three strips of fabric. One has musical notes on it. One has symphonies on it and the third has a design. It is in shades of blue starting with the drums. I would like to donate it to raise some funds if you are interested. My granddaughter, Bria Stocker, is in the Jazz Band. I can send a picture if you like.