The Newton Education Foundation has awarded a $3,000 Teacher Innovation Grant to support the Alcovy High School Band Program, led by Brian Coates, Director of Bands. The funding will replace worn‑out music stands and provide a new high-powered speaker, both essential for efficient, high‑quality rehearsals.
More than 120 band students in grades 9–12 will benefit from these upgrades. Many of the band’s current stands are unstable or broken, causing rehearsal delays, and the lack of an effective speaker has forced Mr. Coates to keep tempo manually with a woodblock—limiting his ability to conduct and engage with students.
With NEF’s support, the band will soon have:
- Durable, professional‑grade Manhasset music stands
- A MegaVox 2 portable speaker to help improve tempo consistency and rehearsal flow
These improvements will help students focus on musicianship rather than equipment challenges.
To share the impact of this grant, Mr. Coates and his students created a short video demonstrating the need for new equipment and expressing their gratitude to the Newton Education Foundation. The video offers an authentic look at the equipment needs and the difference this support will make for the band program at Alcovy High School.
You can support teacher grants to help provide necessary equipment and other learning resources by donating at www.newtoneducationfoundation.org/donate.