Triton student collects instruments at Homecoming tailgate

People who stopped by the tailgate party last Friday night before the Triton Homecoming game were greeted not only by a variety of foot trucks but also by Senior Logan Tufte.

Tufte, a member of the Triton band, has chosen collecting unused band instruments as his Senior Project. The instruments will ultimately be donated to the high school for use by band students.

Friday afternoon he and Jaci Gosse, who is the one who originally suggested the instrument as a senior project, were seated at a table by the bus garages to accept any donations.

Logan said that he had already collected about a dozen instruments and he was expecting additional ones to be dropped off at the tailgate event. The instruments collected had included a trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and a percussion set.

The plans are to contact an instrument repair person who can clean them and make any repairs necessary before donating them to the school. Logan said he will be applying for a grant for the money to pay for the repairs but had not done so yet as he wanted a better idea of how much money would be needed depending on how many instruments and their condition.

Logan plays several instruments himself, including trumpet, trombone, euphonium, and tuba, and said the instruments that had been donated so far seemed to be in good condition and would need little work other than cleaning.

Logan said he knew from his own experience that a good instrument is essential and as he thought about a Senior Project he knew he wanted to do something unique. When the instrument collection idea was presented to him he knew it would be the perfect project.

he also knew that there are likely many instruments being unused. Parents purchase an instrument for their child when they begin to take lessons but when the student quits playing or graduates from high school many of those instruments are put away and never used again. Or, he said, they may have been school-loaned instruments that were never returned.

Even before the tailgate event word about the project got out. He has been interviewed by area newspapers and appeared live on a Rochester television station. National Fleet Graphics helped out by making a banner that is located by the school.

“It would be a great community achievement to offer these to Triton students who would like to experience the excitement of learning to read music, play an instrument, and be involved in a positive group at Triton High School,” Logan said of his project.

Logan said he has already made a presentation before the Triton School Board and they have been supportive of the project.

He added that although he is planned for a specific collection event before the Homecoming game, instruments will be accepted throughout the school year.

At the beginning of the project Logan said he had no idea how many instruments would be collected but no matter how many or how few it would be a success. Friday night, he said, it was already a success.

The school will benefit from the addition of instruments and Logan said he has already learned much about organizing a project and promoting it.

He said he is doing something that has never been done before, planning an event, emailing people about the project and “putting myself out there.” What if this becomes and event every year, he said. “What if I start something.”