Drum roll, please!

Providing every child access to the life-changing experience of making music.

QUARTER NOTES

June 2023

Dear Friends,

We're clashing cymbals and sounding trumpets (actual and metaphorical) as we reveal the tremendous results of Bringing Music to Life's 2023 Instrument Drive! Generous donors responded to our requests for gently-used band and orchestra instruments to be awarded to underfunded Colorado school music programs - for two weeks in March, your contributions poured in. Sixteen donation locations statewide received the second highest number of instruments collected in our instrument drive history.

Our exceptional media partners, Colorado Public Radio, 9News, KUVO and KUNC emphasized the need for instruments that are typically in high demand but low supply, specifically cellos, double basses, tenor saxophones, violas and tubas. We know you were listening because we received multiples of each. Thank you.

We are truly grateful to all who donated instruments and to everyone who contributed funds for their repair. Thanks to you, we will be able to provide 772 instruments to 54 eligible schools and music programs for the 2023-2024 school year. Hooray!

With appreciation and a bit of fanfare,

Bringing Music to Life Board Members

A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE!

Our repair partners were stunned but determined as they considered the time and labor requirements of the dizzying volume of instruments transferred to them from our donation locations at the conclusion of the Instrument Drive. Rocky Mountain Music Repair, Luther Strings, Denver Percussion and Monkton Guitars immediately began what is a months-long process, involving over a dozen employees and countless work hours, to refurbish and repair instruments. They care deeply about our shared mission, which is why they offer us a 30% discount on repairs. They agree that every instrument must be in excellent playable condition before it is put in the hands of a child.

Repairs are by far our biggest budget item. Based on what has been received, what can be repaired and what has been requested, our estimated repair costs for this year are over $84,000. It is money well spent because students with instruments in good repair find playing to be easier, their sound to be better and band or orchestra class to be more enjoyable.

Repair Fund

BMTL has never been able to give every school everything they request but we always make certain that the distribution is as fair as possible and everyone gets something.

This year 772 repaired instruments will be awarded to 54 schools. This number includes:

297 Woodwinds

200 Brass

157 Strings

91 Guitars

20 Keyboards

7 Drum Sets

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE

EVERYONE

PLAYS

IMPORTANT

PART

For us, instrument collection and repair are the equivalent of music lessons and rehearsal. They are our ongoing, behind-the-scenes work. Instrument presentation is our performance. It is both our opening and closing night. On the August day when music teachers from across the state gather at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts to collect their instruments, we all experience both the excitement of an opening note and the thrill of a grand finale!

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

arc THRIFT STORES for supplying us with bins for moving instruments

GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE for funding cases to protect instruments

INSTRUMENT DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATIONS for their front-line support during the instrument drive

OUR GENEROUS PARTNERS & FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS for all of the various ways they support the instrument drive

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS for bringing music to the lives of Colorado's children

WAYS TO PLAY WITH US

Maybe it's a (road) sign?

Now your vehicle donation can go even further - even if the vehicle itself has reached the end of the road. Driven 2 Donate, our vehicle donation partner, recently announced a significant increase in the percentage of proceeds it passes on to participating organizations.

Driven 2 Donate is a DBA of Step Denver, a recovery program in downtown Denver that gives men with nowhere else to turn the opportunity to overcome the consequences of addiction through sobriety, work, accountability and community.

Your vehicle takes a right turn when 80% of the net sold price benefits Bringing Music To Life and 20% benefits the work of Step Denver.

To donate your car, truck or motorcycle, you simply need a clear title and keys; we accept any vehicle regardless of its condition.

Your old car can help us get more instruments in the hands of young musicians.

Vehicle Donation

ORGANIZATION ID BF312

King Soopers Rewards

Your support - it's in the bag!

It is so satisfying to see Bringing Music to Life appear on your grocery receipt as the chosen recipient of the King Soopers Community Rewards program! If you haven't already linked your King Soopers Loyalty Rewards Card (or dedicated King Soopers credit card) to BMTL, please take a minute (literally) and do it here. After that easy one-time sign up - and at no additional expense to you - a percentage of the money you spend will go to BMTL every time you use your King Soopers card.

Fill your cart and play your part for Colorado music education today!

Visit Our Website

Bringing Music to Life

2390 S Fillmore St

Denver, Colorado 80210

(303) 756-3123

www.bringingmusictolife.org

Steve Blatt, Executive Director . Christine Andresen, Assistant Executive Director . Michael Frank, Board Chair .

Rebekah Bonn . Peter Dawes . Anne Necker . David Necker . Kathy Newman .

Jerry Reuschhoff . Lin Williams .