On a bright spring day, Brad Rex walked up carrying a marching sousaphone and gladly handed it over. The trip down to the Music For Schools’ annual donation drive held at Montgomery Village was the first time the instrument had seen the light of day – let alone been played – in years. It had only collected dust and taken up space (a lot of space!) in the closet of Rex’s Sonoma County home.
Today, rather than sitting in the back of a closet, Rex’s donated sousaphone is in the hands of a budding young musician. Like all generous donations to the Music For Schools lending library, the gift effectively transformed an unused piece of “closet clutter” into a seed for a dream.
“You never know how a child will respond to playing a musical instrument until he or she is given a chance,” says Tracy Sawyer, who oversees the Music For Schools program. “I am so pleased to be a part of a program that opens doors for so many children.”
Like Brad Rex’s donation, nearly all of the instruments in the Music For Schools lending library come directly from community donations. Music For Schools places these instruments into the hands of students who can not afford to rent or purchase their own, providing hundreds of students with the precious opportunity to study music.
Support Music For Schools
Music For Schools relies on instrument and cash donations (for repair) to place instruments into the hands of students from low-income families.
If you’d like to donate a new or used instrument, or donate to the instrument repair fund, please email Tracy Sawyer, Arts & Education Manager, or call 707.527.7006, ext. 154.
We will contact you to arrange for instrument pick up and send you a letter documenting your tax-deductible contribution to our program.
Thank You!
New Song Music Camp
Enroll in our summer music camp for kids—no previous musical experience is necessary. See event calendar for more information and for registration form.
