Activities: Instrument Donations for Kids

Your tax deductible contribution of a musical instrument will allow a school child to discover the magic of music!

Santa Cruz City Schools has launched a massive campaign, in conjunction Cabrillo Music Festival and the California Arts Council, to encourage the public to donate their used flute, trumpet, clarinet, cello, violin, guitar - you name it - to a student who wants to learn to play music.

Most school based music programs across California were eliminated when voters passed Proposition 13. With the help of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s School Arts Program, our schools have begun to reintroduce music education, and offer band and orchestra instruction to students in the fourth through sixth grades over the last three years. As a result, there has been a huge increase in the number of students who want to learn to play music. There are over 1200 students eligible to participate in instrumental music classes in our elementary schools, yet the school district has limited available instruments. It is unfortunate that many children cannot afford to rent or buy instruments. As Santa Cruz Jr. High School and High School bands and orchestras continue to grow as we build our music programs in the elementary schools, they will need hundreds of instruments over the next several years. It is a huge endeavor to rebuild the music programs in our schools and they need public support to do so. Every child deserves a chance to begin and we’re asking for the community’s help!

Many of us know of a trumpet, flute, clarinet, trombone, French horn, violin, cello, or guitar which is gathering dust in someone’s attic, closet or garage. Now is the time to bring it out and donate it to a child who could be the next Benny Goodman, Wynton Marsalis, Mark O’Connor or Carlos Santana. Children in elementary schools represent our future composers and performing artists.

Volunteers will be in the "Instruments for Kids" Donation Booth alongside the "Creativity Tent" in front of the Civic Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday, August 4^th and 5^th between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm to receive your donations. All instruments will be appraised and a tax deductible receipt made available to the donor. Talk to your neighbor, uncle, cousin, grandparent, co-workers and friends. Let’s see if we can get 101 Trombones!

If an instrument becomes available after these dates, please feel free to contact Santa Cruz City School District Arts Programs Coordinator Ziggy Rendler-Bregman at 831-427-4818. You can also donate online at the Instruments for Kids web site. Thank you for your support!

A collaboration of Cabrillo Music Festival &

Santa Cruz City Schools

Supported by:

The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County

The Stocker Family Foundation