Buena Music Association raises funds for new school year

Buena Marching Band led under the conduction of James Rumenapp Saturday, Oct. 16 at Buena’s football stadium in order to prepare for future performances this season

Jaclyn Crone, Staff Writer
October 19, 2021

In efforts to raise funds for the upcoming year, the Buena Music Association is having a concert in the Quad, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. This concert will help the music program gain fundings for the rest of the school year, and they plan to have more fundraisers throughout the year. 

Through the concert the Buena music association has a chance to show off the entire music program from their jazz band to marching band. At this concert there will be taco dinners which will give guests’ a chance to donate $15 to the ASB store to pre-order a food ticket or pay $20 at the door. 

Unsure if the Buena Music Association will have any other fundraisers this year, James Rumenapp Bunea’s music teacher and Marching Band Director, has been granted permission to put on this year’s benefit concert. While he is always brainstorming fundraiser ideas, Rumenapp does not yet know if there will be any more to follow.

 “The Concert in the Quad is the first of its kind and will likely be a repeat event for years to come.” Rumenapp said. 

If the music program were to receive more funding these contributions would help pay for staffing on and off the marching band field, instruments, music, and equipment. 

“The funds here are divided so that about half of the money coming in is related to staffing, the other half is equipment, music, repairs, choreography, drill design, and other miscellaneous items all the way down to office supplies,” Rumenapp said. 

Cadence Oerlemans, a junior wind ensemble and marching band student has a few ideas to get the music program out there to other students such as social media, a Buena Today video, spreading the word, and giving more effort into each ensemble. Oerlemans believes that students should put more effort into each fundraiser the music program has since they have so many. Especially since they haven’t been able to do their big fundraisers in a long while. 

“I think it’s just, if we do really well in the fundraisers that we do have, we wouldn’t have to do so many of them,” Oerlemans said. 

With the great knowledge of the band having an average budget of $108,000 to $160,000 per year just to keep the program afloat and what the students would like from the Buena music department shows how much dedication they have to keeping the entire music program afloat.