Pleasant Valley High School Music Boosters Organization

Introduction

The Pleasant Valley Music Boosters is a group of parents working to support the PV music program through fund raising and increasing awareness of PV music program needs. The Boosters raise money to assist in instrument repair and replacement, uniform repair and replacement, funding band transportation and funding of a coach for the flag team. In addition, a used musical instrument drive is an ongoing project to obtain more usable instruments at no cost.

The band is currently under the direction of Mr. Dan Holmes. The Marching/Pep band plays at the home football game, at the Almond Bowl half-time show, and at home basketball games. In December and May the concert band performs at the University. The band also competes in parades and music festivals always earning top marks. Every other year the band is invited to play in the Cal Band Day half time show. There is also an extra curricular jazz band that practices after school hours and performs at concerts.

The choirs are under the direction of Mrs. Tamara Allspaugh. The Women's Chorus is an entry-level group, and the A Capella and Madrigals study and perform advanced-level choral music.

High school music programs provide a safe, adult supervised co-ed activity for students that builds self-esteem and self confidence, sense of belonging, teamwork and overall school involvement. Our performing groups exhibit great pride in themselves and are will loved by the student body and the staff at Pleasant Valley High.

The study of music has been found to improve academic achievement and may be continued at many fine colleges and universities. In 1994, Congress adopted The National Education Goals, which includes the study of the arts as a core subject. Music and the arts are an important part of a well-rounded education.

Background And Current Situation at Pleasant Valley High School

Pleasant Valley High School currently has 50 students enrolled in band, as well as 120+ guitar students, and three classes of piano students. An additional number of students are enrolled in madrigals, vocal ensemble and acapella choir. The PV Music Department works closely with the Drama Department for our Annual Productions. Together they are more officially known as the PV Performing Arts Department.

Approximately $10,000 in current annual music department funding is shared by two music directors to meet the needs of the entire music program. The band portion of this funding is used for ongoing instrument repair/replacement, uniform repair/replacement, sheet music and transportation to events.

Pleasant Valley High School was constructed in 1965. When the high school was built the plan was to construct a dedicated music building and space was allocated in the building layout. Formal architectural plans were completed.   However, the music building construction was deferred and ultimately never completed. The Pleasant Valley band was instead forced to occupy the cafeteria building to this day, a building inadequate in terms of size, layout and storage capacity for a high school band and music program. Lack of soundproofing limits practice times and simultaneous music practices. According to the Fire Marshall the official capacity of the band room is 46. The choir is still rehearsing in the Cafeteria. All the other high schools in the district and geographic area have far superior band facilities with adequate practice rooms, soundproofing, instrument/uniform storage and small offices for the music teachers.

The poor music facilities will certainly make it difficult to recruit and retain quality music teachers in the future. Also, junior high feeder schools have recommended their most talented music students attend Chico Senior High School due to the inadequate Pleasant Valley High School music facilities.

Areas For Which Support Is Needed

The following areas are in need of financial support and are listed by priority of need:

1. Facility Expansion

Funding for proper architectural plans and construction of a performing arts building (the original district plan) or expansion of the existing music/band room (a potentially less expensive alternative) are needed.

2.   Fundraising

Fundraising has become a regular component of providing a superior music program in schools. We try to focus our fundraising towards providing community service and events that involve our performing groups. We actively seek donations and our treasurer handles monetary transactions through the North Valley Community Foundation.

Quote:
"Perhaps we've all misunderstood the reason we learn music, and all the arts, in the first place. It is not only so a student can learn the clarinet, or another student can take an acting lesson. It is that for hundreds of years it has been known that teaching the arts, along with history and math and biology, helps to create The Well-Rounded Mind that western civilization, and America, have been grounded on. America's greatest achievements -- in science, in business, in popular culture, would simply not be attainable without an education that encourages achievement in all fields. It is from that creativity and imagination that the solutions to our political and social problems will come. We need that Well-Rounded Mind, now. Without it, we simply make more difficult the problems we face."
-Leonard Bernstein

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
by Craig Lares & Dan Holmes