SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Local instrument bank aids student musicians

By Davy James, Staff Writer
   Four years ago, Kendall Park resident Judy Walters had a daughter ready to move on from Greenbrook Elementary School and she was ready to give up playing the instrument she had played throughout her early years of school.
   ”My oldest daughter had played the drums in elementary school but she didn’t want to play anymore,” Ms. Walters said. “I was talking to the music teacher and he told me about a kid at the school who wanted to play the drums but his family couldn’t afford it, so we gave the drums back to the school. The teacher told me how much of a difference that made and how much this kid enjoyed getting to play, so I thought there must be other kids in his position at other schools.”
   That act four years ago led Ms. Walters to create the South Brunswick Instrument Bank, through which she collects donated used instruments and distributes them to children in South Brunswick schools who want to play an instrument but whose family can’t afford the approximately $20 to $30 monthly rental fee.
   ”We collect instruments from families that are no longer using them and give them to kids at the elementary school level who want to get started playing an instrument but their family can’t afford to rent or buy them,” she said.
   Since the Instrument Bank was started, about 100 students in South Brunswick have received various types of instruments donated through the program. Music teachers at the various township elementary schools contact Ms. Walters and ask for a specific instrument for a particular student.
   ”Music teachers tell me all the time that they have a talented student who wouldn’t have been able to play an instrument without the Instrument Bank,” Ms. Walters said. “The teachers tell me how appreciative these kids are just to get a chance to play and how good it makes them feel to have their own instrument.”
   In addition to getting an instrument they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise, Ms. Walters said participating in the township’s music programs helps to open other doors for these students.
   ”This township is very focused on music and if kids can feel connected at school that makes a big difference,” she said. “They want to go to school and are excited about it. It makes a difference for kids who wouldn’t be able to participate otherwise and felt left out. Now they feel a part of something.”
   The benefits of participating in the school district’s music program go far beyond playing music, according to Ms. Walters.
   ”Studies show that kids do better in math and language when they play an instrument,” she said. “Playing an instrument helps their brains form in a certain way that makes them better in those subjects.”
   As she begins the annual donation drive for the Instrument Bank’s fourth year, Ms. Walters said she’s excited about the difference the program has made for so many students.
   ”It’s amazing to know that we didn’t know what was happening when we started doing this and I can’t believe the strength it still has,” she said. “Teachers ask me all the time if I’m still doing this. But there is a greater need than ever with all of the economic troubles in the community.”
   The Instrument Bank also takes monetary donations to repair instruments and make them suitable for donation to students. To donate an instrument or for information on how to make a monetary donation email Ms. Walters at [email protected]