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Wise is the Gift of Music
Confucius said "Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without." St. Francis of Assisi said "For it is in giving that we receive." Combining the sage advice of these wise men helps us to understand the passion and commitment of the people behind Charity Music. Charity Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to help cultivate the next crop of upcoming artists. They do this by providing musical instruments on loan, at no charge, to individuals wishing to explore their hidden musical talents. Students, senior citizens, community groups, and military personnel have benefited from the program, receiving musical instruments they would not otherwise have been able to afford.

Advantages to Students
There is a large and growing body of research evidence which shows that students participating in musical instruction enjoy a number of advantages over their non-musical counterparts, even when overcoming social and economic obstacles. For example, they tend to perform better on standardized tests, and get better grades in reading, math, language arts, and science. They tend to be less prone to alcohol abuse and are emotionally healthier in general. And consider this - according to a study conducted by noted educational researcher Peter Wood, music majors have the highest percentage of acceptance into medical school - 50% higher than biochemistry majors for instance.

Overcoming Financial Obstacles
While it's clear that one of the best ways to help disadvantaged kids is to provide musical instruction, often the largest hurdle is the cost of the instruments. New instruments range in price from hundreds of dollars into the thousands. Even families who choose to rent an instrument must put a security deposit down, which itself is often $100.00 or more. Used instruments are an option, but can still be expensive, and the buyer has to be careful about the quality and condition of the instrument. Charity Music helps families overcome these obstacles by supplying good, working instruments at no cost.

In addition to accepting donations of musical instruments, Charity Music raises money and awareness of their cause by hosting charity concerts, and by selling concert tickets that were donated by various artists for this purpose. In July, there was a concert fundraiser (Rock for Rock's Sake) in Reno NV where bands like The Juveniles, The Humans, Slasher, and Nevermute were among those that lent their talents

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