Editor's Note:
Students of families in-need getting playable musical instruments suddenly seems to pale in importance when compared with citizens getting life-saving health care, adequate food and other issues related to the current virus crisis. We just want you to know that we're doing what we can to navigate the flu crisis ourselves while maintaining the operations and integrity of Music4Life™. Once we get to the other side of this health crisis, Music4Life can resume its worthy importance to us all. With that essential purpose firmly in mind, here's where we are today.
Total Instruments Delivered
Music4Life™ has delivered 224 donated and repaired full-sized musical instruments since Sept. 1st to our ten public school districts for use by students qualifying for free or reduced cost school meals. The total "fair market value" of these 224 instruments and related materials is $127,909. This is 81 percent of last year’s total in just the first six months of our fiscal year. All instrument values are according to our independent third-party vendor-experts.
Poverty Bay Wine Festival Postponed
Like many other public events, the Poverty Bay Wine Festival scheduled for March 7th has been postponed until this fall due to the coronavirus emergency. The annual event is a primary fund raiser of its producer, the Des Moines / Normandy Park Rotary Club. Details will be announced soon.
Heppner Added to Music4Life Advisory Board
Paul Heppner, president of the Encore Media Group, has been named a new member of the Music4Life Advisory Board. He joins Colleen Armstrong, retired Seattle Opera Chief of Staff; ADM Bill Center, retired US Navy; and Beth Wojick, retired CEO of Seattle SeaFair and Washington Special Olympics. Music4Life Advisory Board members provide special guidance on request.
KING FM Postpones Music4Life Month
KING FM radio will feature Music4Life as part of its "April Is Music4Life Month" program in King, Kitsap and Snohomish Counties and various cities in each. The feature is a month earlier than usual so we can get instruments to our preferred vendos for repairs before instruments arrive from the school districts during summer months. Our intent is to provide ready-to-play musical instruments as soon as schools open in the fall. Many thanks to KING FM!
Two Baby Grand Pianos
Two baby grand pianos have been delivered recently to our participating public school districts. One went to Evergreen High School in the Highline School District and the other to the Kentridge Performing Arts Center in the Kent School District. In order to accept any piano, it has to be professionally inspected for playability, a dolly has to be acquired so it can easily be moved from classroom to classroom, moving to the new location has to be scheduled and the piano has to be tuned after it has sat in its new environment for a month or so. These are additional expenses can easily add up to $1,500 and are normally paid by the piano donor.
All Instruments Deserve Repair
About 500 people every year now donate musical instruments to Music4Life to get them repaired and put back to use. We describe these as "lovingly used" instruments that donors have in their garages, attics or closets. They go to one of our preferred vendors (
Kennelly Keys Music,
Ted Brown Music,
Hammond Ashley Violins
or various other drop-off points) and are evaluated for possible repair. We do the best we can to repair every instrument back to playability by a student. We did that 334 times last year (2018-19) and are on-track to do it even more this year. But sometimes the cost is just too great or is otherwise prohibitive. Even though our preferred vendors give us discounts on repairs, they still have to pay their technicians for their work. We just thought you'd like to know.
Everett Cultural Arts Commission
With the approval of the Everett City Council, the Everett Cultural Arts Commission has provided a grant to Music4Life to support its Everett Music4Life Booster Club. Many thanks to the Everett Cultural Arts Commission! (NOTE: Music4Life gets support from many commissions, foundations, companies and others. We feature each of them as best we can.)
Donation In Memory of Sue Bartels
Music4Life has received a donation in memory of Sue Bartels from Kristine Wear of Edmonds.
Donations honoring the service or memory of individuals you know may be made online or by credit card. Any size donation is welcome.
