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Welcome to
Horns For Kids!
We are a non-profit organization that supports deserving school music programs throughout Connecticut. Our main purpose is
to encourage children to experience the thrill of performing music in school, and as a life-long activity. H4K raises funds
through private and corporate contributions -- and awards grants to deserving school music programs. H4K also accepts donations
of new and used instruments and distributes them to Connecticut schools. (H4K is the charitable arm of The Great Connecticut
Jazz Festival.)
Do you have an instrument that's gathering dust? Donate it to H4K, and we'll make sure that it gets to a student who can use
it! All kinds of instruments are needed: brass, woodwind, string, percussion and keyboards. Go to the "DONATE AN INSTRUMENT"
page by clicking on the "hot" musicians below -- or the button in the navigation bar.
Make A Contribution
Your tax-deductible contribution to Horns For Kids is urgently needed for repair of donated instruments, and to replenish
the Grant fund. Even a small contribution of $10 dollars can make a big difference. You may use a credit card securely on-line.
Or, send a check. Simply click on the Red Button below to go to the Contributions page.
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| L-R: Frank Ross (Selmer/Conn Rep), Liz Reisman (Store Owner), Fred Rossomando (H4K Co-Director) |
Creative Music Center Donates Trumpet
On March 15, Creative Music Center in Monroe, CT, donated a new Bach TR-800 trumpet to Horns For Kids. Liz Reisman, store
owner, graciously selected Horns For Kids to be the beneficiary at the Grand Opening of the new music store in Monroe. We
are very thankful to Liz for her generosity. A Connecticut school will soon have a new trumpet for a deserving student to
use. You can tour the Creative Music Center website at: http://thecreativemusiccenter.com/
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| Student plays trombone awarded to Washington MS in Meriden, CT |
Trombone
Awarded to Washington MS in Meriden Marta Kwiczor, instrumental music teacher at Washington Middle School in Meriden, CT, recently sent us the photo above.
One of her students is playing the brand new King trombone that was awarded to her school on April 22nd. Best wishes to the
students at Washington Middle School. Nice trombone embouchure! Their spring concert is on Tuesday, June 4, at
7pm at Maloney High School on Gravel Street — Meriden, CT.
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| Click on picture to see large version of poster. |
Brookfield School Sends Thank You Poster
Huckleberry Hill School students in Brookfield, CT, recently sent us a beautiful "Thank You Poster".
The poster is 34" x 24". The poster is creatively signed by the music students. Margaret Fitzgerald, veteran music
teacher at Huckleberry Hill School wrote the following inscription: "To our friends at Horns For Kids — You
will NEVER know how many lives you have touched through your kindness and hard efforts. Thank you!! — Margaret
Fitzgerald. 
Horns For Kids Receives $11.5K Grant
From McDonald's
In December, 2007, Horns For Kids received an $11,500 grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut
and Western Massachusetts. The funds originate from generous franchise owners who strongly believe in giving back to the
community. Originally, John McKnight, franchise owner of the restaurant at 129 Washington Avenue (Rt 5), North Haven, CT,
made us aware of this grant opportunity -- and strongly encouraged us to apply. We are very grateful to him and the other
franchise owners in CT and Western MA for supporting CT students in deserving school music programs throughout the state.
Funds will be used: 1) To purchase new and reconditioned instruments to award to schools, and 3) To repair instruments that
are donated to Horns For Kids.
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| Click on picture for complete story. |
Old Lyme Students Raise Funds For H4K
Lyme-Old Lyme High School students in Ms. Breault's Civics class recently raised $574 dollars for Horns For Kids. Click
on the picture above for the complete story.
| NEW CLIPS ADDED 3/13/07. |
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Test your musical knowledge. CLICK ABOVE.
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| Fourth Grade student in North Haven school is using an H4K trombone. |
North Haven School Recently Awarded a Trombone Ridge Road Elementary School in North Haven was awarded a trombone this past December. Music teacher, Melissa Hudson, applied
for the instrument in November. As you can see above, it's already being put to good use.
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| Edison MS, Meriden, presented with alto sax on 1/20/06. |
Meriden School Awarded Alto SaxophoneThomas Edison Middle School in Meriden was formally awarded a Jupiter Alto Saxophone at their Winter Concert on January 19th.
Janet Rosen, one of three music teachers at TEMS, applied for the instrument last November.
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| CLICK ON GREEN BANNER TO DONATE INSTRUMENT. |
Thank you to all who have donated instruments in the last few days. We are especially thankful for the quality of the
instruments. Most of them need little or no repair, which is good for the H4K budget. It's the beginning of the school year,
and there will be many students who want to play, but can't afford it. Your donated instrument(s) will provide opportunites
for those children. Our next group of available instruments will be posted here soon. Teachers should check the website
at that time. We'll try to offer as many instruments as we can. Remember, WE NEED STRING INSTRUMENTS, too. Violins, violas,
cellos are needed by many school music programs. Thanks again to the donors -- and a special thank you to Karen Wagner of
the Hartford Courant for her recent editorial about Horns For Kids.
For driving directions to Horns For Kids office, enter your address below and click
on "Get Directions".
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| CLICK ON PICTURE TO SEE LIST OF SCHOOLS. |
Drum Kits Awarded To Schools
Three drum sets were awarded to schools on Monday, May 19. Thirteen schools applied for sets. Schools awarded sets are:
Troup Magnet School (K-8) in New Haven, Kinsella Magnet
School of Performing Arts (PK-8) in Hartford, and Voluntown Elementary (K-8)
in Voluntown. Schools that did not receive sets should check this website next fall. There will be at least 4 more sets
available in September, along with several dozen other instruments.
The three schools that were awarded sets
on May 19, should contact Horns For Kids ASAP to make arrangements to pick them up. Call us in Hamden at (203) 288-9771, M-F between 9am-5pm. Ask for Fred or Lee. Please pick-up the sets by Friday, May 30. Mapquest directions are
at the bottom of this web page.
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| Click on the picture above to see list of schools. |
Instruments Awarded To Schools on April 1
The latest group of instruments were awarded to schools on April 1, 2008. Click on the "searchlights"
above to see the list of schools awarded instruments. There were 38 applicants for this group of instruments. If your school
did not receive an instrument this time, we encourage you to apply again at a future date. We hope to be able to offer another
group of instruments soon. Unfortunately, no schools applied for the three drum sets that were available. These Tama and Pearl
sets are in great condition with new heads and heavy-duty hardware (and some Zildjian cymbals). We will most likely have a
special offering for these sets soon. So pass the word to your colleagues, and check the website frequently.
If your school was awarded an instrument, call
us ASAP at (203) 288-9771. You must pick-up your instrument at our Hamden office —
no later than Tuesday, April 22.
CLICK TO HEAR NEW RADIO COMMERCIAL
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| Elmo helps award check to O'Connell School in Bristol. |
Sesame Street's Elmo Helps
Award H4K Grant to Bristol School
On Thursday, September 7, Sesame Street's Elmo made a surprise visit to Clara T. O'Connell Elementary School in Bristol, CT.
Elmo was there to assist Horns For Kids co-director, Fred Rossomando, award a $500 dollar grant to the school's music program.
O'Connell School will use the funds to purchase a French Horn.
Avon Students
Collect 33 Instruments
Two Avon High students collected 33 instruments and $200 dollars in cash for Horns For Kids. The students, both 16, decided
in April to collect instruments as their project for a civics class. When they finished in June, they had collected 5 trumpets,
4 clarinets, 3 flutes, 2 trombones, 2 violins, an alto saxophone, four guitars, bass guitar, bass amplifier, a full drum set
and 9 recorders. Total value of the instruments is at least $5,000 dollars. They also stood outside Wal-Mart one day and collected
$200 in cash. The girls worked almost every day on the project for two months. They received instruments from friends and
local music stores where they had posted fliers. They plan on having another drive during the next school year -- and have
already collected some instruments. This is a wonderful thing that these girls have done. There will be many less fortunate
students across the state that will be able to play, thanks to their persistence and hard work. Horns For Kids is very grateful
to them!
 Cash Grants Awarded
To Ten CT Schools
On April 19, Horns For Kids awarded $4,600 dollars in cash grants to ten deserving school music programs in Connecticut. Click
on the banner above to see a list of schools receiving grants. All 29 applicants had excellent uses for available funds
in this grant cycle. As its budget grows, Horns For Kids would like to be able to help many more schools. The funds for these
grants were made available through the generosity of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.
The next time you visit a McDonald's restaurant, please be generous by depositing your change into the Ronald McDonald House
container next to the register.
Watch a QUICKTIME MOVIE about Horns For Kids. CLICK BELOW.
Click here to play movie.
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| East Hartford student playing an H4K French horn. (photo by George Rowe, E. Hartford music teacher) |
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| Click on Picture to read how Jason Fenwick collected over 13 instruments for less fortunate students |
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| Hear Sound Clips from the Album. |
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