Band director, Andrew Bernard recently applied for and received a prestigious grant to help fund the BMS band program. The grant totalled more than $22,000 and the funds will be used to update the program's instrument inventory. The MCSD School board honored Mr. Bernard and several band students at the February board meeting. Below is a press release related to a the grant.
BYHALIA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
National Foundation Awards Grant to Outstanding Local Music Program
(Norfolk, VA), (date) – Byhalia Middle School will soon receive new musical instruments,
thanks to The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a national organization supporting music
education in schools.
With many school music programs across the country losing vital funding, the foundation helps
under-served schools with minimal budgets by donating new instruments, often replacing some
that are more than 30 years old.
An application for support was submitted by Byhalia Middle School and the foundation found
their program to be a worthwhile investment, allowing more students to be able to play and
experience the benefits of music education.
“Mr. Bernard has done a great job growing the band programing since he started at BMS six
years ago. This grant will be a great opportunity to grow our band program even further, by
putting high quality instruments into the hands of all of our students.”
“We believe in supporting schools that recognize the importance of music education for their
students,” said Felice Mancini, President and CEO of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. “To
give more kids the experience of making music in school is more important than ever and giving
teachers quality instruments makes a huge difference. The benefits are tremendous.”
Byhalia Middle School is located in Marshall County, Mississippi. The school serves 450
students in grades 5-8, achieving a B rating for the 2021-2022 school year. The BMS band
program has been an integral part of engaging students in high-quality extracurriculars that help
drive student achievement and overall school success. The band program consists of about 40
students, and continues to grow in both size and quality each year.
The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation was inspired by the acclaimed motion picture Mr.
Holland’s Opus, the story of the profound effect a dedicated music teacher had on generations of
students. The film composer, Michael Kamen, started the foundation in 1996 as his
commitment to the future of music education. The Foundation keeps music alive in our schools
by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs, and vital support services to
school districts nationwide, giving economically-disadvantaged youth access to the many
benefits of music education, leading them to success in school, and inspiring creativity
and expression through playing music. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country
have benefited. Please visit mhopus.org for more information.