The Fred Fox School of Music will be purchasing nearly $200,000 in musical instruments, thanks to funding approved by the Provost’s Investment Fund.
The Office of the Provost solicited proposals from faculty and staff that were innovative, aspirational, aligned with the University’s strategic plan, and followed these institutional priorities:
- Increasing student success, including graduation and retention rates, especially for groups underrepresented within the relevant disciplines.
- Promoting growth and opportunities to generate new revenue for the institution.
- Expanding student experiential learning.
- Enhancing research capacity.
- Promoting diversity and inclusion.
The 64 proposals were evaluated by peer review committees consisting of diverse members of the faculty, staff, and student body. Nine proposals were funded.
“The Fred Fox School of Music faculty, staff, and students are so very happy to be the recipients of the Provost’s Investment Fund, infusing into our school new instruments that will serve us in an area of such an urgent need: wind (brass, woodwinds) and percussion instruments,” said Director Lori Wiest.
“Receiving the Provost’s support improves our ability to recruit and retain students from a broad and diverse background. This builds on our educational mission to train students for the demands of 21st century careers.”
The proposal notes a 2019 Harvard Music Lab study. Scientists investigated the inclusivity of music across cultures, examining 315 societies. They discovered an alignment of music with such universal behaviors as infant care, healing, dance, and love, identifying a “musical grammar” that is common across cultures and eras. While there is a universal inclusion of music in cultures – and the benefits of student learning — access to musical education has become consistently limited to lack of funding of creative activities in educational institutions.
“This award will bring about significant improvements in the academic lives of our students,” said Director of Bands Chad Nicholson. “This will help us support students from diverse backgrounds who may not be able to access instruments that can be cost-prohibitive.”
For example, quality marimbas, contrabassoons, tubas, and English horns can each cost upwards of $10,000.
“The Provost Investment Fund will directly benefit many students who simply do not have the means to make such purchases, creating new and meaningful opportunities for our students to be successful graduates of our university,” he added.
| Instrument | Quantity | Cost/item |
| Bass Clarinet | 1 | $13,216.00 |
| Piccolo | 1 | $2,295 |
| Alto Flute | 1 | $7,573.00 |
| CC Tuba | 1 | $7,500 |
| English Horn | 2 | $9,500 |
| Tenor Saxophone | 1 | $5,000 |
| Soprano Saxophone | 1 | $7,000 |
| Baritone Saxophone | 1 | $10,000 |
| Contrabassoon | 1 | $31,000 |
| Studio bassoon | 1 | $10,000 |
| Vibraphone | 2 | $6,800 |
| Marimba | 1 | $13,900 |
| Drum Set | 1 | $1,360 |
| Chimes | 1 | $8,070 |
| Glockenspiel | 1 | $3,690 |
| Crotales (low) | 1 | $2,200 |
| Crotales (high) | 1 | $2,095 |
| Multi-Drums (tom-toms) | 1 | $1,199 |
| Multi-Drums (tom-toms) | 1 | $1,225 |
| Digital Percussion TriggerPad | 3 | $800 |
| Mallet stands and mounts | 2 | $130 |
| Alto Clarinet | 1 | $14,910 |
| BBb Tuba (used) | 1 | $5,000 |
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