Playing music has been one of the greatest sources of happiness and satisfaction in my life. I can’t count or accurately describe the ways in which my life has been made better by playing an instrument. Music has improved my discipline and focus, broadened my horizons and curiosity, and provided me the best outlet for stress relief and self expression I’ve ever found.
However, I am one of the lucky ones. When I was a kid and wanted to play the drums, I had parents who paid for lessons with top-notch private instructors, bought me equipment (drums, music, sticks, etc), and allowed my to practice for hours a day in their basement.
For too many kids, these advantages don’t exist. They love music and more than anything want to learn how to play an instrument. But opportunities to learn and practice aren’t there. Individual lessons with private teachers are usually too expensive, and many times the only opportunity is through school programs – which, due to budget cutbacks, may not exist. Where school programs do exist, they are frequently underfunded and de-prioritized. Students receive little to no individual instruction to help them grow their skills or better understand musical concepts. Furthermore, the high cost of instruments and the lack of available places to practice outside of school prevent many students from even beginning lessons, even if the desire and opportunity to learn are present. This problem is especially serious in Washington, D.C., where 40% of elementary school students and 20% of high school students have no music teachers, and more than 90% of elementary school students receive no musical instruction.
That’s where we come in. Everyone Deserves Music was founded in 2011 to help address this need. We seek to find volunteers willing to give instrument lessons, match them up with a child who wants to learn that instrument, and to provide instruments, lesson space, and practice space. From the response we’ve gotten from the community so far, we think there is a really strong interest in this kind of program and we’re really excited about this opportunity.
If you or anyone you know is interested in helping DC kids through Everyone Deserves Music, please let us know at everyonedeservesmusic@gmail.com. We’re always looking for good volunteers – and there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved. From volunteer instrument teachers to fundraising and community outreach, there’s plenty of ways to get involved. And don’t forget to tell your friends!
We thank you for visiting our new home on the web and hope you are as excited as we are to establish and grow our program. Check back on this blog to follow our progress!
