“Without music, life would be a mistake,” Friedrich Nietzsche once said.

That is motivation that keeps the Central Sound of Chattanooga running. On average, it costs about $100,000 to fund a full-running marching and concert band. This money provides for everything from bus rides to football games to concert band competitions, but it does not cover the ability to buy and fix instruments. An average estimate on the repairs of one instrument is $300, and buying a tuba, for example, can range from $3,000 to $6,000. Needless to say, it takes a lot of money to run the Central Sound.

The one down factor to being in any band is that the state does not provide any money for the arts. Due to this factor, it has become difficult to pay for new instruments and repair instruments that are older than the school. This is where the Central Alumni Association steps in. The alumni have taken this serious need and decided to make the Central Sound their new project. They have decided to raise $50,000 for the Central Sound.

“It’s really cool that the alumni is raising money for us because we really need it!” stated band director Joshua Bloodworth. “The biggest thing we’ll be able to do once we reach our goal is that we will be able to replace everything from the drum-line to other percussion instruments to the color-guard equipment to brass instruments and to woodwind instruments. Basically, it allows us to replace everything we’ve got because most of the instruments we have at this point are so old that it’s going to be more cost-effective to replace [them].”

Ever since the alumni has started this project, a lot of changes are taking place in the Central Sound. Hunter Elliot, a freshman tuba player, received a brand new tuba along with the other tuba players because of this money.

“Since we got the new tubas, I can actually tune it for once. I can also get water put on the valves and it isn’t dented all over. So it actually sounds right,” stated Elliot.

Not only will this money help buy and repair old instruments and equipment, but it was also be very beneficial in recruiting future band members to the Central Sound.

“A band full of shiny new things is much more attractive to people trying to get into band, and it will be easier for us to recruit once we get those newer, nicer things,” shared Mr. Bloodworth.

The alumni have raised $1,620 dollars for the Central Sound so far. We at the Central Digest highly recommend that you donate to help keep the music alive at Central High School.

If you would like to donate, the website is http://www.gofundme.com/me97no.