BRIGHTON, Colo. — The 'Bringing Music To Life' (BMTL) instrument drive is helping music programs like the one at Vikan Middle School in Brighton put music in the hands of all its students.
The nonprofit group collects gently used band and orchestra instruments and distributes them to struggling schools in Colorado. Vikan Middle School has been part of the program for several years and helps fill a gap in their music program that’s been growing.
“We have about 180 students, which is awesome,” band director Aaron Carnahan said. “In the past couple of years is where we’ve seen the most benefit…the program has grown immensely, and the passion involved with Bringing Music To Life is admirable to say the least.”
Last year, the school received about 25 donations from BMTL, which distributed about 1,100 instruments statewide. 9NEWS partners with Bringing Music to Life, which asks people to donate their used instruments to benefit students in struggling music programs across Colorado. Since it started, BMTL estimates about 20,000 students from more than 300 music programs have benefited.
“It’s just so important to give students access to the life changing experience of creating music,” BMTL Executive Director Christine Andresen said. “So many schools have had to cut their budgets and so the arts programs have really suffered.”
The drive is collecting the instruments at 15 collections sites statewide until March 16th. Then the donations will be repaired, cleaned, and refurbished by local repair shops like Rocky Mountain Music Repair and Luther Strings. This summer, the instruments will then be distributed to the schools when the new school year begins.
“I just love kids having access to things that can make them into the best people they can be,” Andresen said. “We have schools that have close to half the student population in their music programs, and we’re thrilled with that.”
It’s help from the instrument drive that Carnahan says he’s happy to have due to the rising number of band members.
“I think roughly a third of the students go through the band program here at Vikan,” he said. “It’s equitable…they deserve to have a functional instrument that is there’s to take care of, to keep track of and of course to make music on.”
The instruments collected from the drive will be distributed to schools in August with the hope that the donations will be music to the ears of students across the state. The group is also collecting cash donations on their website that offsets the cost of repairs and distribution. Carnahan said he’s grateful for the help.
“You can’t have students try to jump over hurdles that make no sense to try to jump over,” he said. “It fills a gap that by all rights, shouldn’t necessarily be there.”
To donate a used instrument or funds that Bringing Music to Life uses to repair and refurbish the instruments, visit their website.
More from Byron Reed:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Next with Kyle Clark