In a race to earn funds for the World Music Program, members of the NIU World Music Program successfully reached their goal of raising $10,000 on Monday.
The NIU World Music Program is a division at NIU that specializes in helping learning musicians acquire high-level music skills and introduces various musical cultures.
Members of the NIU World Music Program opened a fundraiser last month to raise funds for new equipment for Chinese and Mariachi Ensembles as well as to invite guest performers to work with ensemble members in the future.
Closing at 12:05 a.m. on Monday, the fundraiser received more than 60 donations from friends, family and students ranging from $10 to $2,000 that helped them reach their goal of $10,000.
The funds will go to the purchase and utilization of new equipment and replacing old instruments.
Jui-Ching Wang, a professor of the NIU School of Music and coordinator of the World Music Program, explained the reason for the release of the fundraiser back in October.
“We know that there are a lot of instruments that are just too old and we have to replace them,” Wang said. “This semester [the Chinese Ensemble] had 18 people sign up and then [the Mariachi Ensemble] we also had 18 people sign up. So it’s like, yeah, we have this many people, our enrollment is big, but then we don’t have enough instruments that we can provide for them to play,” Wang said.
Austyn Menk, music admissions coordinator, expressed his excitement after the fundraiser reached its goal.
“I’m excited for this, for our students and for our program and hopefully for what opportunities we are able to offer,” Menk said. “As much good as there already is to say about the World Music Program, the fact that so many donors were so willing to see what we have going on and say ‘yeah that’s great but what else is there to do’ and give this substantially. It is not only heartwarming but as I said, simply exciting,” Menk said.
While this isn’t the first fundraiser they have done, the members of the NIU World Program are open to doing this again and are accepting donations outside of the fundraiser.
