South Charleston Middle School music program receives grant for new instruments, more

Students at South Charleston Middle School were recently awarded a grant from the Save the Music Foundation to purchase music instruments.Photo byKanawha County Schools

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Students at South Charleston Middle School will soon face the music – and not in a negative way.

Thanks to a grant from the Save the Music Foundation, pupils at the South Charleston school will receive new instruments and other music education technology.

“South Charleston Middle School is our latest school to receive a Save the Music Foundation grant, thanks to support from the WV Department of Arts, Culture, and History,” officials with Kanawha County Schools (KCS) said in a statement. “We are so thankful for this opportunity.”

Officials said monies from the grant will be used to purchase up to 40 instruments, music stands, a stand holder and other instructional materials.

South Charleston Middle School was one of 11 West Virginia institutions to recently receive the music grants. Other schools include:

• Barrackville School, Barrackville, Marion County;
• Bridgeport Middle School, Bridgeport, Harrison County;
• East Preston Terra Alta School, Terra Alta, Preston County;
• Glenwood Middle School, Princeton, Mercer County;
• Glen Fork Elementary/Middle School, Glen Fork, Wyoming County;
• Harts PK-8 School, Harts, Lincoln County;
• South Charleston Middle School, South Charleston, Kanawha County;
• South Preston School, Tunnelton, Preston County;
• Spencer Middle School, Spencer, Roane County; and
• Walton Middle School, Walton, Roane County.

In addition to providing new instruments, Save The Music will pay for 17 West Virginia middle school directors to attend the Midwest Music Clinic in Chicago, KCS officials said.

The Save the Music Foundation, a nonprofit organization, has been providing schools with music education equipment for more than 25 years. In that time, they’ve awarded $75 million worth of instruments and technology to over 2,800 schools.

More information on the South Charleston Middle School award is available on the Kanawha County School’s Facebook page.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter.He shares his work on NewsBreak and in the free weekday Kanawha Valley Update newsletter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.