Video: Mehlville Students Donate Tubas to Joplin Band

Two extra tubas were loaded onto the buses Wednesday as the band packed up and headed to Albuquerque, NM.

The brand new tubas, which cost $3,000, will go to the Joplin High School band. On May 22, 2011, , destroying the high school and all of the band’s instruments.

Senior flute player Emily Hall said she’d heard of several bands donating used instruments and equipment to the band in Joplin, but the Mehlville students wanted to purchase new instruments, and large ones at that.

“If the equipment wasn’t good enough for them to use at their school, why would you want to give it to somebody else?” .

To raise money for the tubas, the students sold raffle tickets for two Opening Day Cardinals seats and a $100 gift certificate to Mike Shannon’s Restaurant.

Tickets were sold for four weeks and the band did a drawing during Thursday Night Bingo before the game.

The band will make a brief stop in the city to give the tubas to Joplin students.

“We could have tried to do something more formal, but this way, I have the opportunity to take the kids through town,” Brown said. “We’re just going, rehearsing and playing with the band.”

The band is on their way to the University of New Mexico, where they will be participating in a breathing clinic.

”The clinic teaches us how to breathe properly to play better,” said senior flute player Jenna Folluo. “We’re going sight-seeing to the Biological Park and the Tours of Old Town in Albuquerque.”

For Folluo and Hall, this trip will be their last with the band. 

"If it wasn't for the band, I wouldn't have enjoyed high school as much," Hall said. "We get a lot more exposure to helping people out and I'm really looking forward to a great time with our band family."

Fox2Now was also on scene with a video from Mehlville High School.