Compliments of a $4,200 grant, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students are making music and benefiting after receiving 14 new acoustic electric guitars.

The Sudbury Education Resource Fund, Inc. (SERF), which funded the grant, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt town-wide organization dedicated to enriching, enhancing and supporting Sudbury’s public schools from kindergarten through high school. Since its establishment in 1991, SERF has provided more than $740,000 in school grants, which have augmented classroom learning opportunities, expanded the curriculum, and promoted professional development.

“What I see in terms of students when they play music and get involved in making music, not only are they getting an emotional release, but they are building a skill that makes them feel good about themselves,” said Thomas Grandprey, L-S instrumental music director.

Because so many students signed up for the credit course called Beginning Guitar and Piano, Grandprey teaches guitar to 24 students, while the school’s choral director teaches piano.

“We split the class so they have a half of semester of guitar, and half piano,” said Grandprey. “Once they heard about the course, they signed up. This is Plan B to make it work.”

Students can check out the guitars to take home and practice so they don’t have to own one.

“When I proposed a course at L-S where students could learn basic piano and guitar skills, my goal was to get a greater diversity of students involved in making music at the high school,” said Grandprey. “I felt that while we provided instruction for traditional band and orchestral students, there was a large segment of the student population, that if given the right environment and encouragement, could personally benefit from making music at L-S in a group setting ... We would not have been able to purchase guitars that played so ‘easily’ and sounded so good without SERF’s contribution.”

Because the guitars can be played with and without amplification, the instruments are also being used in other settings at L-S, including a songwriting course, small and large music group rehearsals, formal music concerts and an L-S coffeehouse. And one student used the guitar for an individual project for an English course, Grandprey said.

“Having the resources allows us as teachers to have the tools to connect with the creativity of the students as we provide learning opportunities,” said Grandprey. “SERF is awesome for providing funds for opportunities such as this. I’ve worked in other districts and this was definitely not possible to have the support for things that don’t fit inside the box.”

Last year, SERF donated grants totaling almost $61,000, according Michele MacDonald, co-president of the SERF board of directors along with Beth Winograd of Sudbury.

“We fund almost 75 percent of the grants we receive,” said MacDonald.

With the grant applications SERF receives on a rolling basis, the board reviews them monthly and distributes them twice a year, according to MacDonald.

“I can’t say enough about how the support of SERF has enriched the quality of education, and professional efforts of teachers at Lincoln-Sudbury during my time here,” said John Ritchie, superintendent/principal of L-S. “There have been times when a sudden, unanticipated need has arise, and SERF has always been there.”