One music teacher from an elementary school in Ridgewood reached out to the community to help get her students a brand-new sound system in the auditorium for their various musical performances, and the community responded, helping to reach the goal in less than a day since this article was posted.
Alicia Brosky has a deep passion for teaching music to the students at P.S. 81. She takes pride in nurturing her students’ creativity and helping them create something beautiful and meaningful through the art of music.
“I love my job more than I can convey,” she said. “I look forward to going to work every day to work with my bright, talented students, by teaching them the techniques and mechanics of music as well as the joy and passion that goes along with performing.”
However, the many wonderful performances the kids put on throughout the year are plagued by an old sound system that does not project their true talents to the audience.
Brosky is looking to change all that.
In an effort to raise donations to purchase a new sound system for the school, Brosky has created a page on Donors Choose — a nonprofit organization — where the community can help bring the gift of sound to not only the performers, but the school as a whole.
“My most recent donation request is for a sound system to really enhance our productions. I am the conductor of our school band and chorus,” Brosky said. “Our band will make their debut concert this spring. The Treble Makers — our chorus — performs in three shows yearly, a holiday concert, a spring show and their end-of-the-year extravaganza. All my music classes perform at the end of the year as well, highlighting what they have been learning all year long. Having a sound system would really showcase individual students, both singing and speaking. It would also help them project over an audience in a large auditorium.”
In addition, Brosky says that the sound system will aide students in the classroom as well.
“In the classroom, I would use the microphones to encourage students to speak out more and diminish any fear they may have of public speaking,” the music teacher wrote on the Donors Choose page.
Brosky was asking for $291 in donations to purchase the sound system with a Freeboss FB-V04 4 Headset Lavalier Vhf Wireless Microphone, packs of rechargeable batteries, and an instrument cable so a guitar can be plugged into the new system.
As of Feb. 1 — less a day since this article was originally published — the community pitched in the final $191 Brosky needed to purchase the sound system, thanks to donations from community members, former P.S. 81 students, and the 104th Precinct Community Council.
“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our community,” Brosky said on the Donors Choose page. “My students and I are so thankful for your donations toward a sound system for our school. We can’t wait until our next production to see how good we sound!!! This is surely going to enhance our performances! From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!”
