Hitting the Right Notes, Thanks to the Braemar Charitable Trust

Hitting the Right Notes, Thanks to the Braemar Charitable Trust

Friday, February 28th, 2025

Starting in the sixth grade, students can elect to play in the band or sing in a choir as one of their electives. Approximately 20% of all middle school students (3,800) elect to take band classes across the 10 BSD middle schools. An even larger percentage of middle school students choose choir for an elective.

BEF recognizes the transformative power of music education in children’s lives and is committed to expanding these opportunities. By partnering with school music teachers and staff, BEF invests in programs that allow students to engage more deeply in music, fostering creativity, confidence, and a lifelong love for the arts.

Thanks to a generous $15,000 grant from the Braemar Charitable Trust, BEF’s Middle School Music Program will directly support 1,000 middle school students in the Beaverton School District to hit the right notes. Teachers recognize and value the impact this investment will have. “Our middle school band students will benefit from sectional coaches who can provide one-on-one attention to woodwinds, brass, and percussion groups and help students develop instrument-specific skills,” shares Jesse Natividad, Whitford Middle School band teacher.

Specifically, BEF’s investments aim to provide inclusive and accessible opportunities in music through three programs: 

• Beaverton Band Together increases access to band instruments for any student who wants to play, regardless of their family’s household circumstances. In partnership with Beaverton Friends of Music and our business partner, Music & Arts of Tigard, BEF ensures instruments that are owned by the schools are in good working order and any instruments donated by the community are repaired or refurbished to put into students’ hands. We also help purchase consumables such as reeds, valve oil, and method books so teachers always have a stash of supplies on hand. 
• Music Mentors/Artists in Residence is a new strategy to supplement middle school music with music mentors. As artists in residence, professional musicians will take smaller groups of students aside to accelerate learning their instruments. Artists come to the middle schools several times a month over the course of the school year to lead sectionals and small group classes.
• Before and After School Music offers extended day programming at middle and high schools and allows students to participate in band or choir opportunities that enrich their musical education beyond the school day. From the BASE rock band to the middle school choir festival (coming up in May), BEF supports Beaverton’s young musicians.

To learn more about how BEF invests in music education and make a donation, click here.