Medina teacher hopes to pull the strings with donations

  • 2015-11-19
Lauren Patyak, who teaches music at H.G. Blake Elementary School in Medina, is asking for some unusual help.

Patyak is teaching guitar to some of her students, and needs more instruments for her very enthusiastic students. She would like people to donate guitars, or if they prefer, make a monetary donation so she can purchase the instruments.

Patyak has been teaching guitar to fifth-grade students here for about two years, and is currently teaching a class of 26 with just 11 guitars. She would like to increase that number to at least 13 guitars, so that there would be one instrument for every two pupils. They switch over halfway through each class. In addition, she would like to start a guitar club, and have it ready to perform at the school's open house and Christmas concert, which is set for December 16.

Patyak says about 30 students have expressed interest in being part of the performance, so she would like to have the guitars by Thanksgiving to allow time for rehearsals before the show. She asks that anyone considering donating an instrument should make sure it is a “real” guitar—not a toy—and has nylon strings.

School officials might help get the word out by working with a flyer printing company on a mailer for area residents describing the campaign.