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The greatest benefit of donating a musical instrument is not only for the person who donates the instrument. The person who receives the instrument can potentially reap the greatest reward.

Outright benefits of donating a musical instrument are few and in many cases, short-lived. By donating an instrument to a non-profit, you can receive a tax deduction. If you have a friend or relative to donate your instrument to, you are giving an instrument a new home and relieving your house of clutter. Contacting a local music teacher to see if there is a student in need can make you feel good about helping a young person afford the opportunity to study music.

The recipient of a donated instrument gets all the benefits of playing a musical instrument, which includes self-discipline, self-expression, a feeling of accomplishment, and a means for relaxation, just to name a few. These can be lifelong benefits.

Sometimes the benefits of donated instruments can even carry on to the next generation.

Many years ago, there was a six-year-old girl who was the oldest of four children. Her father was a construction worker who would find himself out of work from time to time, and her mother didn't work outside the home. The girl's parents thought it important that she participate in some activity, so she grudgingly attended dance classes every week. When the family bought a run-down farmhouse in the country, the seller tried to sell them a piano for $500 to avoid the hassle of moving it himself. The father couldn't afford it, being the sole provider for a family of 6. Besides, no one in the family even knew how to play the piano.

As luck would have it, the seller of the house didn't bother to move the piano out when the father refused to buy it. The six-year-old girl bargained with her parents to quit dance classes and take piano lessons. They agreed to let her try it since the piano was there anyway.

The girl began lessons and practiced every minute she could. She even settled for only playing during commercials when others were watching TV. The girl admired her piano teacher and concluded (at the age of six) that being a piano teacher would be a great home business. She decided that she would pursue music education as a career (remember now, she was only six years old). In the end, the girl did become a music teacher.

I am that girl. I have taught music in public and private schools, studios, stores, and at home. Being a stay home music teacher has afforded my children the greatest benefit of all. They get to keep their mom at home, which is a benefit that, unfortunately, so many other children don't have.

If the man hadn't abandoned the piano in that farmhouse, I most likely wouldn't have cultivated the talent or desire to pursue a career in music education. I will always be grateful to the unsuspecting donor. I wish he could know how significant that piano has been to my life.

So, if you've got a musical instrument sitting around collecting dust, consider donating it. You may make a difference in more ways than you can imagine!

Here are just a few ways to donate:

Contact the head of the music department at your local school district to see if there are any needy students.

Check out the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (www.mhopus.org).

Run a Google search on "donate musical instruments".

Learn more about this author, F.M. Leith.
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