Desiree Stolte, 14, left, plays the saxophone for the Estero High school band. She was the recipient of last year’s Bonita Village Band Music Scholarship.
Desiree Stolte, 14, plays the saxophone in the Estero High School band.
She was one of last year’s recipients of the Bonita Village String Band music scholarship for students interested in taking private music lessons.
And, although Stolte jumped at the $1,000 scholarship, it seems that this year her peers in Bonita Springs, Estero and south Fort Myers just aren’t interested in the money or aren’t getting the message.
“We just didn’t get the response this year that we have in the past. We put notices all over and students just didn’t take,” said Al Dalton, the Bonita Village Band’s director.
Dalton isn’t sure why students don’t apply and feels he has done everything to promote it.
“If I were a kid, I’d hop on it right now,” said Dalton about the possible reasons the band thinks kids aren’t applying. “It may be that parents are working more now and don’t have time to encourage kids to apply.”
The scholarship is the only one of its kind geared toward 12- to 14-year-olds who show promise in music, not accomplished musicians. High school students also are allowed to apply.
“Maybe $1,000 doesn’t seem like enough, but we went from 47 applicants three years ago to only 7 or so now ... something is funny,” said a disappointed Dalton about the money that is raised during the band’s concerts. “We don’t charge people to see us (perform) we explain that we have these scholarships and the community supports it.”
Being able to continue the scholarship program is important because Dalton feels younger students are the musicians of the future.
Mark Gurnow educates musicians at Estero High and depends on middle school students to fill holes as students graduate.
“I encourage kids to get scholarships especially in middle school because it helps them get an early start,” said Gurnow, Estero High band’s director. “I’ve never had a kid walk into high school and just show an interest in playing an instrument.”
That interest is nurtured in middle school and that’s why Gurnow depends on groups such as the Bonita Village Band to garner an interest in kids. He currently has three students who were awarded the money last year, he said.
“I’m not sure if kids are really finding out that the scholarship is available or have easy access to the application,” said Gurnow, who posted the Village Band’s flyer in his room but says some students don’t take the time to write to Dalton in order to have an application mailed to them.
Gurnow also pointed out that it may seem like fewer students are applying because middle school level band members statewide are dropping music as an elective because of rising FCAT standards. To pass the test, some students have to take intensive reading or math classes.
“The pool of people is smaller statewide and before (our band) had 160 maybe five years ago ... now we are 70,” Gurnow said adding that the South Fort Myers High band is even smaller. “It’s almost impossible to jump into band in high school for the first time.”
Tina Lees, the music teacher at San Carlos Park Elementary in San Carlos Park says her students weren’t aware of the money at all.
“I was not aware of such a thing and that may be why students aren’t applying,” said Lees who now has plans to contact Dalton and get her students involved in the program. “We have a lot of talent at our school.”
Lees suggests the Village Band e-mail schools or be more proactive in advertising efforts but, Dalton says, the band relies heavily on word-of-mouth because of a lack of manpower.
“It’s extremely frustrating because we really are at a loss to know what to do. We don’t want to discontinue the program,” said Dalton about possibly allocating the money toward other charitable endeavors and discontinuing the scholarship program. “People are willing to support it. Now we just need to find a way to spend it.”
