10,000 reasons to be happy

By Rebecca Fraser
EUMEMMERRING Secondary College’s music department snared a much-needed boost last week when it received $10,000 worth of musical equipment.
The Endeavour Hills campus recently won Yamaha Music Australia’s Thanks 10 Million Promotion, celebrating the company’s 10-millionth wind instrument.
The school has selected nine keyboards, one digital piano, an electric guitar, an alto sax, a bass guitar, an acoustic drum kit, a cymbal pack and a snare drum.
Eumemmerring Secondary College’s Head of Music Estelle Alder was ecstatic when she received the news.
“The announcement was made in the morning staff meeting by the assistant principal who said he’d had a phone call from Yamaha — I gasped,” Ms Alder said.
“He announced that we had won the $10,000, and I went into shock.
“One of my colleagues said it was as if I was winning a car on Oprah. It took some time for the reality to sink in.
“The music department is so under resourced and outside funding was the only way we were going to progress.
“We have tried hard to overcome the lack of resources so that the music program is not affected.
“Now, there are no limits to what we can do. It is so wonderful, because to the students, it says you’re worth it.”