The way things look on the outside of the Fort Logan Northgate School in Sheridan don't necessarily show the struggles on the inside.
"Just 3 or 4 years that we've had this building," said music teacher Sandy Packo. "So, we have a young music program."
Packo used to have to borrow instruments because she could not buy her own for her students from third grade through eighth grade.
"We were using instruments that were in poor shape and old and needing a lot of work," Packo said.
Eighth-grade student Aiden Hansen remembers his frustrations with his first trombone.
"It was dented very badly," Aiden said. "It wasn't good."
Isabella Klein, an eighth-grade trumpet player, said she had to rig her former instrument.
"For my spit valve, I had to like use like a gum wrapper in order for it to not rub together," Isabella said.
But, now, this school has 19 donated trumpets, horns, and flutes from the Bringing Music to Life Instrument Drive sponsored by 9NEWS.
"When we got the new instruments, it completely changed the program," Packo said.
This is a program that serves a lot of low-income kids, Packo said. More than 90 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Packo said one of every five students at Fort Logan Northgate is homeless.
"We do have a lot of poverty here," Packo said.
She said she believes a good music program can offer chances to all kids they may never have had. She knows because she's been there - she said she grew up in a poor family as well.
"I lived in a migrant family for most of my life," Packo said. "For me, music was the drive for me to go to school and I think I can say some of my students have that same experience."
Isabella said music provides her with stress relief during school.
"It's just fun," she said. "It's like my getaway."
The Bringing Music to Life instrument drive runs through Saturday, March 17. Music stores throughout the state are accepting donations of old musical instruments even if people think they're in bad condition.
If you want to find out where you can donate, click here: BringMusic.Org.
Aiden said this could change the life of a student with little money.
"They could play for free. Find out if they like it or not and potentially get a job in that area and not be so poor," Aiden said.
