Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids

A program for Greater Cincinnati schools.

Click HERE to download a scholarship form

The program began as a project of the College-Conservatory of Music Alumni Board in partnership with Buddy Roger’s Music. It started as an idea to fulfill a need that had been identified in the music programs of area schools

The need was for a way to supply instruments to students whose parents were not able to buy, rent or borrow an instrument so that their child could participate in the beginning band or orchestra program.

The solution was somewhat simple – a recycling program for musical instruments!

Around the Cincinnati area, there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of instruments going unused in homes everywhere. They are hidden away in the back of a closet, up in the attic, under the bed, in the basement and even mounted on a wall as a decoration. LINKS wants and needs those instruments

They may not look like much when they are donated but they provide hidden treasures. Sometimes they arrive in pieces; sometimes they’re ready to play; some instruments are very old with years of use; some are newer with lots of notes left in them; whatever the shape of the instrument, it can help provide an opportunity for a needy student.

The donated instruments are refurbished at no charge to the program by repair technicians at Buddy Roger’s Music. They are evaluated, repaired, sanitized, and put in good playing condition -- ready to be placed in the hands of an eager student.

As classes begin each Fall, a few students do not have instruments. These are students that have demonstrated an aptitude for music and the desire to learn. They sit silently while their classmates start making their very first sounds.

When the music teacher identifies a need, the LINKS program comes to life to complete the recycling program. An instrument is matched to the request and delivered to school to start a new life in the hands of a very happy, young student.

Music is not just a fun activity. Researchers are providing us with an unprecedented understanding of how we think and how we learn. The research has confirmed what we have always known -- that music and the arts are a vital part of a complete education.

Asking people to donate an instrument they once played is the hardest part of the program. Music is powerful and provides good memories. To part with a piece of that memory is asking a lot.

But an instrument sitting idle in the corner is nothing more than a piece of wood or metal that has been machine, carved, drilled, bent, and cut into interesting shapes.

Put these instruments into young, eager hands, and they spring to life again as a musical instrument. They can become the hopes and dreams and begin producing lasting memories for a whole new generation.