Cave Junction, Ore., November 30, 2018— Music students at Lorna Byrne Middle School are going to new lows these days, that is, a whole new range of low notes on their new bass clarinet. The instrument was purchased with funds derived from donated bottles and cans, as well as a match from a community donor.
Using a start up grant from The Carpenter Foundation, the Illinois Valley Community Development Organization established a permanent collection site for deposit containers at the big blue cargo container behind Oregon Caves Chevron. The public can donate clean bottles and cans with an Oregon 10¢ deposit value every Saturday from
10am—2pm.
“The addition of a bass clarinet to the Advanced Band brings a timbre (tone color) that we have been missing,” said Sean McKee, LBMS Music Director. “As few middle school students are willing to tackle a heavy tuba, this new instrument will provide the foundation that creates a more full, balanced sound to the ensemble. Having a bass clarinet at LBMS also provides advanced woodwind players an opportunity to expand their skills on an instrument they most likely could not afford to purchase.”
The bottle donation project took two years to get organized but it’s really humming along now. Partners include IVCanDO, Oregon Caves Chevron, Shop Smart Food Warehouse, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, and Southern Oregon Sanitation. It is a project of the IV 20/20 Strategic Plan.
Bottle deposits collected so far have also funded the IV wrestling club, RiverStars Performing Arts, and the Evergreen Elementary School fiddle program with Kelly Thibodeaux. Groups can apply to “host” a collection day to raise funds for their programs by contacting Malcolm Voyager at [email protected]
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