Music to their ears
Donated instruments let less privileged students make sweet sounds
A quintet of musical instruments sat forgotten in Karen Everhart’s house for years.
However, after the January death of her husband, a former area band director, Karen decided the items collected mostly during his career should be silent no more. The 74-year-old loaded up the two trombones, flute, French horn and accordion (her own high school instrument) and hauled them on Saturday to Music Go Round on Bethel Road to donate to the Gift of Music campaign benefiting young students.
Her hope: that the donation can ensure that her late husband’s passion for music — he served as director of the Buckeye Valley High School band as well as assistant director at Rutherford B. Hayes High School, both in Delaware County — lives on in children who may not have the means to purchase their own instruments.
“It’s difficult for students to get into music because there are so many other things that demand their time today,” said Everhart, who lives in Delaware County. “Music, it’s uplifting, it helps you forget about the daily grind, and some kids are not able to afford them.”
The Gift of Music campaign, an initiative of the Columbus Music Commission, was founded in 2019. The drive collected 300 instruments valued at $64,868 in its inaugural year to benefit Columbus City Schools’ music classes.
Because the coronavirus pandemic has created a hardship not only for school budgets but family budgets as well, Gift of Music organizers are hoping to collect far more instruments this year to ensure that music education remains viable, said Bruce Garfield, executive director of the Columbus Music Commission.
“I’m just determined to put more instruments in kids’ hands,” Garfield said. “Music is a gift, and the thought that some kid couldn’t get an instrument, couldn’t take it home with them, it was important to eradicate that.”
This weekend is the second and final opportunity this year for central Ohioans to donate new or gently used musical instruments, amplifiers,
“I’m just determined to put more instruments in kids’ hands. Music is a gift, and the thought that some kid couldn’t get an instrument, couldn’t take it home with them, it was important to eradicate that.” strings, electric keyboards and other accessories at any of seven no-contact, curbside drop-off locations. More information about times and locations is available at giftofmusic.info.
Donated instruments will be hauled to a warehouse for disinfecting and assessment for refurbishment before they end up in the hands of budding musicians at Columbus City Schools.
Dustin O’neil, an instrumental music teacher at Wedgewood Middle School in the Hilltop, said he has seen firsthand how students can benefit from the program, which assists families who may be hesitant to rent or purchase an expensive instrument if the school has none to lend. Wedgewood’s band program received a clarinet and trumpet last year for two students to borrow.
“This program helps out with giving opportunities for so many kids to participate,” O’neil said. “Any instrument that’s donated will be used and will be greatly appreciated by kids.”
The district has transitioned to online learning for at least the first nine weeks of the school year, but students will still have the opportunity to pick up their instruments prior to the first day of school on Tuesday, O’neil said. He and other music educators plan to use online music programs to conduct their classes.
Guitars not Guns, a nonprofit organization that provides acoustic guitars and lessons to at-risk youth, will also benefit from the Gift of Music campaign this year.
Mark Ruf, a volunteer teacher at the local chapter, said the biggest barrier to acquiring instruments for the program is funding. He’s hoping that by partnering with Gift of Music, Guitars Not Guns will receive higher-quality guitars, as well as accessories to provide to young guitarists.
“There really aren’t a whole lot of opportunities for you to take a child and put them in front of something and say go ahead and create something,” Ruf said. “This is an opportunity for us to put kids in a situation where they feel like they can create something constructive.” elagatta@dispatch.com @Ericlagatta