A key component of music education specifically and private education more broadly is the necessity to fundraise for necessary equipment.  Last year, my Music Ensemble students organized a bake sale that—Praise the Lord!—far exceeded our expectations.  We raised enough to buy new drum heads and cymbals, and it was a great bonding experience for the student-musicians.

With all the wedding and house stuff this year, I did not get the bake sale on the calendar for this fall, but perhaps we’ll be able to do in January or February.  A Valentine’s bake sale might be a good idea!

With that, here is 20 November 2024’s “Bake Sale Boogie”:

Yesterday my Middle and High School Music Ensemble students hosted a bake sale fundraiser.  We’re hoping to get some sweet new drum heads for the two kits we have in our classroom, and possibly update some cymbals.  With two classes and six energetic drummers (they have to rotate around between the kits), our heads are dented and dimpled, and our cymbals are looking pretty forlorn.

Shockingly, I’d never done a bake sale before in all of my years of private school teaching.  We’re constantly begging for—uh, I mean, fundraising—for money, as we’re a private school, and tuition only covers about 75% of the cost of a student’s education, and I have never been one to grovel for handouts (except for on this blog, where I do it constantly; but it’s the Internet, so does that really even count as Reality?).  As such, I try to keep requests from parents to a minimum, even though many of them do donate generously when we need certain items.

One of my seniors proposed the bake sale, which she took on as an unofficial class project (and college application booster).  She did the important legwork of clearing it with the administration, and put together a nice flyer.  I coordinated with parents and students about obtaining baked goods, and to be sure to list allergens, etc.  I mean, I don’t really believe in peanut allergies, but somebody does, so I have to do my due diligence (to be clear, I do believe in peanut allergies, but I doubt they’re as widespread as everyone claims).

I have thirty students between my two ensembles, so we had a ton of items.  Yours portly made some easy break-and-bake chocolate chip cookies, but some families went all out.  One young lady brought in Rice Krispy Treats coated in sugar and on popsicle sticks; “Moo Moo Bars,” which consisted of a delectable blend of coconut, chocolate, and other sweet flavors; and massive s’mores cookies.  Another young man had a basket full of mini-pumpkin muffins.  And there were loads of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes, etc.  One mother went so far as to label slices of chocolate cake with different prices based on their thickness.

We charged between $1 and $2 for everything, and sold items during the morning break period at school.  As soon as the bell rang, we were slammed with an enthusiastic crowd of students.  As break neared its end, we started selling everything for $1, which brought in a flood of latecomers.

My students kept the sale going through the first lunch, during which I had a piano lesson.  During that time, one student donated a cool fifty bucks.  My students did their due diligence—“Did you mean to give us $50?  Are your parents okay with you giving us this much money?  Are you absolutely sure you want to give us this cash?”—and obtained the dough.

When the dust and powdered sugar settled, we’d netted $530.  I was hoping we’d raise $100 or $150, and figured $200 would be a wild success.  To raise over $500 blew my mind!  I am extremely appreciative of the student body and teachers for supporting the bake sale.  Yours portly tossed a $20 bill in for good measure, but that was a drop in the bucket.

Naturally, my students and I are thrilled.  We should be able to make the updates we need without being a drain on the school’s coffers, which was the major goal.  I’m sure my boss would have let me buy some $50 drumheads, but this sale got all of my student-musicians involved, and we raised much more than we would have if I’d just asked to order them directly.

Praise the Lord!