Cle Elum, Washington, is a small town with a population of about 2,000 and a school district serving approximately 900 students in K-12 — but that doesn’t stop the power of music flowing through it.

Funding is a major obstacle to growing a music program. For the past five years, Nick Maupoux, band director for Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, has overcome this hurdle by grant writing and using the following strategies.