River Bend Elementary Gets New Piano Through Donation

The piano came just in time. With an onslaught of musical performances on the calendar, students at River Bend Elementary School needed an accompaniment for performances and choir rehearsals.

They got it in the form of a new electric grand piano.

"It sounds identical to an upright," music teacher Jordan Black said.

U.S. Cellular donated the Yamaha keyboard to the school via DonorsChoose.org.

In August, Black posted a project request on DonorsChoose.org in hopes that he could raise enough money to get a much-needed piano for the music program. The new piano would be essential to the class for rehearsals and the many performances the music program puts on.

DonorsChoose.org is an online forum for teachers to post project requests. People can donate any dollar amount to the projects they choose. U.S. Cellular pledged $1 million through the website to projects across the country for their "Calling All Teachers" campaign. In the St. Louis area, 80 projects were chosen.

The piano couldn't have come to River Bend at a better time. The Winter Sing Along is just weeks away. The piano will lead the school in winter melodies during this popular tradition on the last day of classes before winter break.

"We have different musical performances throughout the year featuring different groups." Black said. "We have a choir and orchestra concert, we have a third grade recorder and Suzuki concert…all of these have to use piano to accompany songs."

The piano has also opened up opportunities to expand the program.

"We're adding this year a kindergarten performance and possibly other small performances for first, second, fourth and fifth grade featuring the music we do throughout the year," Black said.

Every child at the school has music class once every four days for 45 minutes and there are opportunities for more musical instruction.

"We have a choir that's a special group for fourth and fifth graders that meets once a week and we also have a strings program for third, fourth, and fifth grades," Black said.

The portability of the piano is essential. Black teaches music in the classroom but the performances are in the gym. 

"I like uprights, but we can't move that between the classroom and the gym and we don't have enough money to get two different pianos for our school," Black said.

The piano—a Yamaha YPG 625—features USB connectivity, a six-track recorder and many other tools.

"We can have this piano for decades," Black said. "It's a much nicer sound than our old one."