But with every new band member, he would need an extra instrument. And in Watson's case, that could mean an extra instrument that he doesn't have.

McCaskey's band has experienced a severe shortage of instruments for the past year. As a result, the school has undertaken a relentless effort to obtain more instruments. The school has requested help from a number of local churches, as well as the broader community.

To date, McCaskey's band has received 20 instruments through donations. The donations have included clarinets, trumpets and violins, all of which are in heavy demand at the school. The department hopes to find a lot more.

"We are trying to get as many instruments as we can,'' said Watson, McCaskey's director of music. "We have placed fliers and ads in several churches, as well as local areas.''

McCaskey's music department believes the recent shortage in musical instruments is a result of the school district's tight budget.

"The district continues to provide instruments for our music department,'' Watson said. "But with budget cuts and taxes, they can only do so much.''

The school is receiving a great deal of support from parents, many of whom are members of the McCaskey Friends of Music, a parent group geared toward supporting the school's band department.

Many parents fear that the lack of instruments will have a negative impact on the school's music department.

Lois Straus, coordinator of McCaskey Friends of Music, strongly agrees.

"There are many children who are interested in playing music these days,'' said Straus. "Therefore, the music department cannot afford to be short on instruments.''

Like many of the school's music staff, the parent group has been passing the word around that instruments are needed. Straus said instruments are quite expensive, and are not always easy for the district to purchase.

"It may seem unfortunate, but reality shows that money for instruments is quite minimal,'' said Straus. "The district is always strapped for money.''

Many band departments, including McCaskey's, have discovered that musical instruments are delicate, and can easily become exposed to wear and tear. As a result, Watson said, instruments only last so long.

"When you have several students using the same instruments for a long period of time, they will eventually become old and worn out,'' said Watson.

McCaskey's band department is optimistic that it will have enough instruments in the near future. The school has already been given several clarinets and trumpets from local churches.

The school is asking anyone who has instruments to donate to contact McCaskey's music department. blog comments powered by Disqus