HISD bands seek donated instruments

A sizable jump in the size of Hutto ISD school bands has led to a lot of positives, but it has strained the amount of district instruments available to new band students.

Because of the jump, about 20 students at Hutto and Farley Middle Schools still don’t have instruments. These students are typically in low-income families, whose parents cannot at this time afford to buy or rent an instrument for their child.

“A few of them are telling me their parents are waiting until the next pay check, but some are being told they can’t manage the monthly rental or their credit has been declined,” Farley Middle School Band Director Christy Anderson said. “The kids and parents want to be involved, and I’d hate finances to prohibit them.”

Anderson said Hutto High School, Hutto Middle and Farley Middle schools will accept instrument donations from the community. Most needed are instruments generally rented or purchased by parents, such as flutes, trumpets, clarinets and trombones. She said band staff would happily provide a receipt of donation for tax deductions.

The bands will accept any instrument, despite its condition. Some horns sound great despite how they look and others can be repaired at local music stores.

If instruments are not found soon, those without will be forced to quit the band, she said.

Donations will help round out a band whose size has grown considerably in the past two years. At this time the total size of Hutto bands is 522 students and some district officials expect that number to grow to 700 next year.

Where the district is seeing the most growth is in the ranks of beginners, where instruments are most needed.

The Hutto ISD School Board voted to provide some help Thursday, allocating $100,000 for the purchase of the most expensive instruments and percussion equipment.

Instruments with price tags generally above $2,000 include tubas, bassoons and french horns. A tuba can cost $6,500 or more.

The band will also purchase full drum sets. Anderson said those could be used to create middle school jazz ensembles. The drum kits will also allow the band to play a wider array of music including some pop music arrangements.

But students who have signed up to play smaller, less expensive instruments are generally not provided an instrument. The district has some loaner instruments, but not nearly enough for all students in need.

“You hate to have any kid to miss out on an opportunity,” Anderson said. “Some of these kids really want to give band a shot, and it’s not their fault and a lot of times its not their families fault they don’t have an instrument.”

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