As another year winds down to a close, 'tis the season for us all to reflect on the months passed and take stock of what we're most thankful for. And here at Reverb, we’re grateful for the organizations that work tirelessly to make music education more accessible for kids and young adults all over the world.
That’s why a portion of every purchase made on Reverb goes to Reverb Gives, which puts musical instruments into the hands of students who need them. In its second year of operation, Reverb Gives has furthered its mission of making the world a more musical place by contributing to a variety of schools, nonprofits, and other organizations that share the same vision.
This Giving Tuesday, we've made a video with Reverb Gives recipients Intonation Music, Notes for Notes, Music Heals International, Girls Rock Dublin, and Stax Music Academy. Watch it to see them in action. Below, we've talked to Music Heals International and other organizations about how Reverb Gives have helped them in their missions.
Music Heals International
After an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, Sara Wasserman began volunteering as a music teacher in Port-au-Prince, the country's capital city. Soon, she saw how the power of music could "help children find joy in the wake of trauma." Wasserman partnered with local aid groups and educators to launch Music Heals International.
"MHI’s partnership with Reverb Gives helped 425 Haitian kids make their communities sing," MHI says. "Reverb Gives helped diversify our instruments to ensure that students—including 27 children with disabilities—had a choice in what they learned to play. MHI’s work with advanced students was also enhanced thanks to Reverb Gives. The introduction of a drum microphone set and mixer inspired students’ creativity and encouraged them to lean into their music studies."
Young Musicians Unite
In South Florida, another Reverb Gives recipient is reaching students who would otherwise have little access to music education in their public schools.
Fighting back against the cuts to music classes and school bands, Young Musicians Unite (YMU) provides free music education in 16 public schools in Miami-Dade County. The group has taught over 1,400 students in the 2019 school year alone.
"We engage at-risk youth in underserved communities through diverse music programs including jazz bands, rock ensembles, guitar ensembles, music technology, and drumlines," YMU says. "The support we received from Reverb Gives gave us an opportunity to purchase backline equipment for our 2019/2020 YMU Concert Season. YMU students will be participating in about 150 performances this school year, and 70% of our shows are set up and engineered by fellow students."
Sound Thinking NYC
Head up the Atlantic Coast to New York City, and you'll find another music program that's being helped in part by your gear purchases.
The only program of its kind in the country, Sound Thinking NYC (STNYC)—a program of the Creative Arts Team at CUNY and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), in partnership with NY is Music—addresses gender equity in the music industry through a yearlong program that shows high school students how to navigate the career paths, technologies, interpersonal skills, and recording studio knowledge they need to know to have a career in music.
"Reverb Gives has had a major impact on Sound Thinking NYC, first through an award from a grant supported by Dave Grohl’s participation in the 'Play' Charity Auction and then through a Reverb Bucks grant that was integral for us in securing necessary equipment for the program," the organization tells us.
Rain City Rock Camp
Across the country in Seattle, Rain City Rock Camp is empowering girls, women, and gender non-conforming youth and adults "to engage their creative potential through music, champion equity, and thrive in a community of allies and activists."
In 11 years, Rain City Rock Camp has worked with 1,800 young people and 450 adults through music education, gender workshops, and other programs—forming over 450 bands in the process.
"We are so grateful for our Reverb Gives grant of Reverb Bucks," the organization says. "We are powered by many donations from our music community, but we often fall short with the specific needs we have in serving young—and, often, quite tiny—musicians. Just try watching an eight-year-old girl tune a 10-pound Peavey Patriot bass (spoiler, she can't even reach the tuning pegs because the neck is too long!)."
"We were very excited to improve our instruments to be more suited to our campers, getting some small-scale basses and small, portable amps, since we are constantly moving around equipment during each day of camp."
