At the December 2015 School Board Meeting, Superintendent H.T. Sanchez honored arts volunteer Dr. Ned Bloomfield for his 17 years of service to TUSD's Instrumental Repair Shop.Dr. Bloomfield repairs approximately 100 orchestral instruments per year (17,000 total). Additionally he has raised $31,000+ through personal outreach to his friends and community for instrumental supplies.
Dr. Ned recognizes the value of music education for our students. "I get as much benefit from being involved with Instrumental Repair as the staff does from me. It is a great way to help the community."
Instrumental Repair Technician Sean Randel values Dr. Ned's contribution. "I can't imagine having the shop without him. It's an amazing present we get. I don't think he realizes the amount of work he does for the students. Because of him, hundreds of students have access to string instruments, rent free, and in playable condition."
Dr. Joan Ashcraft agrees. "As a talented violinist and violist himself, Dr. Bloomfield knows the intrinsic value of musical experiences for the complete education of a child. His daily commitment to Fine Arts demonstrates his personal belief in the power of music to enrich lives. Our gratitude cannot be fully expressed. We think of him every time we hear our students perform on an instrument he has repaired."
Read an article about Dr. Bloomfield published by Arizona Public Media.