Musical instruments needed for students
It’s time once again to dig through your attic and closets and to donate unused musical instruments to public school students in our area. Instruments are meant to be played! If you have a musical instrument just sitting around, help get it into the hands of an aspiring young musician.
In partnership with the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteers Association, Dayton’s public, full-time classical music station (Discover Classical 88.1FM/WDPR and 89.9FM/WDPG) is sponsoring the “It’s Instrumental” program, which annually collects used orchestra and band instruments.
Collected instruments in good condition are immediately placed into the hands of a young musician, according to Shaun Yu, president
and CEO of the radio station. Other instruments are repaired or reconditioned, then given to deserving students at Dayton Public Schools. “Even unplayable instruments may be sorted for parts or used for art proj ects,” he says. “Nothing will go to waste.”
Over the years, almost 700 instruments have been
donated to deserving students in the region, and the need for instruments is as high as ever. “While there may be any number of challenges to studying music for a Dayton-area student, the lack of an instrument should never be one of them,” says Yu.
“For our students, their instrument can be a catalyst
for greater self-expression, collaboration and personal achievement,” says Ruth Reveal, director of education with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. “Playing an instrument can completely change the trajectory of their lives.”
Making music
“Q the Music” is a daily after-school string orchestra program that supports the musical, academic and social growth of at-promise youth in the Dayton community. Located at Ruskin Elementary, students in grades 3 through 6 receive academic tutoring; take group lessons in violin, viola and cello; and participate in string orchestra rehearsals.
“Because these students are so young, they cannot play a full-size instrument,” Yu explains. “And while we have a need for all instruments, this is where the dire need for ½ and ¾ string instruments comes in.”
Dayton Public Schools including Stivers, Northmont and Springboro are just a few of the region’s schools that have received instruments over the years. In 2020, even in the midst of the pandemic, more than 100 instruments were collected.
The most pressing needs
■ ½ and ¾ size violins, violas, cellos and basses
■ Flutes
■ Clarinets
■ Trumpets
■ Trombones
■ Snare drums
■ Strings
■ Mouthpieces
■ Reeds
Donating your instrument is easy. Simply take your instrument to your nearest Grismer Tire & Auto Service Center by Saturday, July 31. All donations are tax-deductible. More information, including a list of Grismer locations, can be found at www.discoverclassical.org.