[[nid:131662 field_align=right]]When music teacher Brent Roach came to Denver’s Pinnacle Charter School in 2008, the school had six musical instruments.
Now, Brent’s students have 36 instruments to play and learn from.
It's all thanks to the instrument drive, started by CPR in 2009, which provided nearly 2,000 musical instruments to more than 100 Colorado schools and music programs. The program continues with the new non-profit Bringing Music to Life and this year’s instrument drive, which runs March 16-28.
Brent, who has been teaching for more than a decade, believes music develops a variety of skills in his students, including communication, teamwork and self-discipline.
In the classroom, Brent gives his students—who range from fifth-graders to high-school seniors—the kind of musical experiences that shaped his own childhood.
His earliest memories are of tagging along on field trips with the school band his father directed and watching his father perform on stage in rock bands. Growing up, he played piano, trumpet, bass and more.
“Music was the focal point of my childhood and has continued to this day,” he says. “I can’t really imagine life without music.”
Thanks to him and the instrument drive, his students won’t have to imagine life without music either.
Learn more about the Bringing Music to Life instrument drive.
