Lawrence instrument drive nears 50 donations, seeks more for students
Nearly 50 instruments have already been donated in Lawrence, but organizers still need more before school starts so students who cannot afford rentals can join band or orchestra.
Lawrence’s instrument drive has collected nearly 50 donated instruments in the past two months, but organizers say that still leaves a gap for students whose families cannot afford to buy or rent the gear they need for band or orchestra.
The effort is a joint project of Meyer Music Stores, the Duke Ellington Legacy jazz ensemble and Liberty Hall, and it is tied to Band of Angels, the Kansas City program that matches donated instruments with children facing financial barriers. Organizers want to double the donation total before students return to school next year, a goal that points to how many local kids still risk being shut out of music classes by the price of entry.
That barrier matters in Douglas County because music participation can shape a student’s entire school experience. Research from the University of Kansas found that students involved in music programs outperformed their peers on grade-point average, graduation rate, ACT scores, attendance and discipline referrals. National arts-education groups, including the National Association for Music Education, say access to music is part of an equitable, well-rounded education, not an extra for families who can pay.
Band of Angels began in Kansas City in 2009 through a partnership between Meyer Music and FOX4 TV. The program originally aimed for 50 instrument matches in its first year, then reached 300. It works with school music educators, families and community partners, and students who receive instruments can keep them for as long as they like.
For donors, the process goes beyond dropping off a horn or violin. Meyer Music says about 80% of donated instruments arrive out of working order, so technicians repair and clean them before they go to students. Instruments that cannot be restored are turned into art and auctioned at the annual Art That Blows fundraiser, extending the value of each donation even when the instrument itself cannot return to the stage.
The Lawrence drive is still accepting help as summer moves toward the next school year. Each instrument donated, whether it becomes a playable tool for a young musician or parts for another repair, can decide whether a child gets a place in the band room or is left outside it.
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