Tyner Academy band students ranging from grades eight through 12 stand with the women of Silverdale Baptist church.Tyner Academy students listened quietly to Silverdale Baptist Church member Patti Payne. But their eyes – looking eagerly at the pile of instruments behind her – betrayed their true excitement.
“You all have done a great job with what you had,” the Tyner alumna told them. “But we want to help and see what else you can really do. … We sincerely care about you and are so excited about your band.”
She’d brought the instruments – everything from an electric guitar to a piccolo – to donate after a group from her church had read about the state of the instruments the students were using and decided to do something about it.
The shiny clarinet Kiana Jackson clutched after last week’s donation was a far cry from the duct taped instruments described in the Times Free Press article only a month ago.
“They’re doing well, but they’re doing well on junk,” band director Elias Smith was quoted as saying then.
Now, Smith said, he is touched and shocked by the community support of the Silverdale women.
In addition to the donated instruments, Payne and her group of church members raised more than $3,100 to repair current instruments and cover any other needs the band may have. All this was raised by the group of 10 women in less than a month, said Payne.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Smith said with a smile as he watched his students unpack the instruments. “We’ve gone from not having a whole lot to having almost more than what we need.”
Senior Jordan Woods said although his final season with the band has come to an end, he is thrilled for the future students who will benefit from the updated instruments.
As he prepares to go to Alabama State University for college, where he will march in the band, his concern is for the incoming Tyner students and providing them with the musical opportunities that impacted his own life.
“Band is something that has been a part of my life since I was a kid,” Woods said. “It’s great to know that the community supports that – that the community cares about us.”