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FITCHBURG — The Sizer School is asking for instrument and monetary donations to support its newly-established school band and expand the program.
“It’s small, but it’s really sweet,” said band coordinator Shara Meltzer Osgood. “The kids want to see it grow.”
Band is an hour-long after school program that began at the charter school last spring. Seven students play woodwinds, brass, and the keyboard, Osgood said.
To support the program, she started a fundraiser on GoFundMe last week. As of Thursday, about 10 people have donated $800.
The goal is to raise $3,000 to provide instruments to students, pay music staff, and other costs to run the program.
“We’re really dedicated to making it happen and helping (band) get better,” she said.
This school year, band started in the fall and has Cheryl Boudreau and Tom Arsenault as its instructors, Osgood said. The band will perform several times in the spring and summer.
“All of the kids are really dedicated to it,” she said. “Everyone has been growing and learning.”
A grant from the Fitchburg Cultural Council helped the program get started.
Through donations, the group was able to provide a trombone, saxophone, and keyboard to student musicians, Osgood said.
She helped start the program with her eighth-grade son, Ethan, who plays flute in the band.
Since then, he has helped reach out to Sizer students about joining band, Osgood said. Getting the group established is a legacy he wants to leave at the school.
Music runs in the family. Osgood’s daughter plays the clarinet and wants to join band when she starts at Sizer next year. Osgood plays ukulele and is learning guitar. Her husband plays piano and drums.
The fundraiser can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/sizer-school-band-fundraiser.
Instrument donations can be dropped off at the Sizer School office. Contact Osgood at [email protected].
