By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
Abi Pulvermacher, director of the Whitewater High School Jazz Band, has been awarded a $400 grant from the Madison Jazz Society’s Memorial School Grant Fund.
The Madison Jazz Society’s grants fund jazz centered programs designed to help students learn about and perform jazz.
“We are very pleased that these grants will assist students from all over Wisconsin now and in years to come,” said MJS President Linda Marty Schmitz. “We are thrilled to see that many schools throughout the state are working to provide opportunities for their students to learn about America’s original art form – jazz.”
Pulvermacher said the grant will be used to purchase jazz band equipment.
The jazz band class is a “zero hour” course at Whitewater High School that meets daily from 6:55 to 7:40 a.m.
“These high school students have busy lives that include athletics, academics, and friends. However, every morning they arrive at school at 6:55 a.m. excited and curious about what new challenges the morning will bring,” Pulvermacher, wrote in the grant application.
WHS Jazz Band member Austin Holik wrote a letter of support for the grant.
“With additional resources, the band could grow into an unstoppable force. I completely understand the pressing need for funding in all areas of education; however, I believe the Whitewater High School Jazz Band rightfully deserves their slice of the pie,” Holik said.
School Board member Steve Ryan said the grant provides an opportunity for students in Whitewater to expand their expertise in music ventures.
“The new equipment will be beneficial for our students for years to come. It’s great to have Ms. Pulvermacher take the initiative and being successful in obtaining this grant for the district,” he said.
Pulvermacher joined the music educators in the Whitewater Unified School District at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.
A 2012 graduate of UW-Whitewater, Pulvermacher teaches at Whitewater Middle School and Whitewater High School.
Pulvermacher marched with the WHS Marching Band during Whitewater’s Holiday Parade on Nov. 30 playing mellophone. Behind the scenes, she played alto saxophone and flute in the pit band for the Whitewater High School Players recent production of “All Shook Up.”
Formed in 1984, the Madison Jazz Society is a non-profit, all volunteer organization formed to encourage the performance of and education about jazz.
The group sponsors the broadcast of “Riverwalk: Live from the Landing” on Wisconsin Public Radio. MJS will sponsor its 25th annual Capital City Jazz Fest in April 2013. For additional information on the MJS, visit www.madisonjazz.com.
