We set a goal to get 100 kids each an instrument. We also set about to do advocacy at local schools and community centers, including outdoor events such as Discover Bed Stuy and Free Bed Stuy at Von King Cultural Arts Center.
Instrument Drives and Partners include:
Although the practice of refurbishing used musical instruments and donating them to underfunded music programs at schools has been copied and expanded by larger organizations, we were the first NY-based Instrument Drive for lower income communities and continue to lead the march toward reaching the most vulnerable of children.
1. Give Kids Your Instruments
Music helps us deal with the dissonance in our lives. The simple act of physically making a sound with a musical instrument instantly creates a safe space to reflect upon and express oneself, and this in turn strengthens our sense of self-reliance and feeling of belonging.
The kids in our programs create communities of support for each other and this inspires and motivates them in the present and impacts the cultural life of society in the long run.
2. Create Partnerships
By creating a partnerships between Give Kids Your Instruments and other established child welfare organizations, we are able to help implement and manage music and arts educational and therapy programs for children emerging from conflict.
Our long-term goal is to coordinate art and music programs across a trans-regional network of support locations for children in crisis. This will include child rescue and therapy centers, orphanages, and schools outside conflict zones.
3. Document Projects
Through multimedia and archival documentation, we commit to developing accountability with the affected local communities and transparency with the international community.
This will be the opening chapter to a documentary about the effect of arts education in areas emerging from conflict and the importance of art in cultural development.