From drums and cymbals to banjos and guitars, the Prince Albert YWCA is on the hunt for used musical instruments.
The organization plans to start a newcomer music program in January, and while they have a few instruments stored up at their Wesley location, it’s not enough to begin a full program. They’re asking Prince Albert musicians to donate their old instruments and help give the program a much-needed boost.
“It’s fairly well documented that involvement in music, sports, arts, culture, and recreation, are pretty fundamental parts of overall wellbeing,” YWCA fund development and volunteer coordinator David Hambleton said.
“We’ve been looking for ways that we can offer that in a limited way for our newcomer clients.”
Hambleton said most newcomer families don’t have the money to purchase musical instruments or pay for lessons, but still want to learn. Ideally, the new music program will help introduce them to traditional European and North American style music and dance, while also giving them a chance to show off their own musical traditions.
To help make that happen, the YWCA is on the lookout for instruments that go beyond the usual drums, keyboards and guitars. The organizer already has a number of pianos, and an organ thanks to Wesley United Church, who sold the downtown building to the YWCA, but otherwise they’re open to any donation.
“We don’t really have space to be taking on significantly large items such as big pianos or extremely large organs,” Hambleton explained. “Any type of other instrument, whether they be drums or guitar or some type of wind instrument, we’re pretty open to taking. Then, we’ll be looking to set up a music instruction program for our clients based on our type and how many instruments we receive.”
The length and depth of the music program will depend on funding. Hambleton said they’re still waiting to hear back on a grant request. If their application gets approved, they’ll be able to hire an instructor to help run it. If not, the task will fall to staff and volunteers.
“Even if we don’t get funding, we’ll still look to do it on a lower level,” Hambleton explained.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the YWCA has asked donors to avoid dropping off an instrument without advanced notice. Anyone who wishes to contribute is asked to call the YWCA at 306-981-4697, or email them at davidhambleton@ywcaprincealbert.ca.
The YWCA can also pickup instruments on request.
For more information about the YWCA, visit www.ywcaprincealbert.ca.