Story and Photos by Rosemary Leonetti
Long Beach Middle School music teacher Elizabeth Altbacker was featured in a short film made by an organization called Project Noise.
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The film chronicled the story of how Altbacker’s personal and professional life was turned upside down by Superstorm Sandy. Undeterred, she pushed ahead in stride to give her students a chance to make music and heal. The filmmakers visited her school and her home, interviewed her, spoke with students, and toured the City of Long Beach to see firsthand the effects of the storm and how Altbacker and her students are coping with life after Sandy.
“I went to the middle school the day after the storm,” Altbacker said. “There was mud everywhere, and so many of the instruments were ruined. I went to school here myself and I have been teaching here for 18 years. I remember when all these instruments were purchased. After the storm, I wrote to every music company I could think of and reached out to former students. I knew that I had to do whatever it took to put instruments in my kids’ hands again.”
One of the companies that came through for Altbacker was Fender, who donated 24 instruments to the school. Fender contacted Project Noise to make this documentary to promote their donation and make other companies aware of the need to donate.
Project Noise is a nonprofit that creates videos and media campaigns at no or low cost to organizations working to better the world, with the goal of amplifying the impact of nonprofits and raising awareness about critical social issues.
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