This week Vintage & Rare received an e-mail with great news from Music Fund
Music Funds amazing project to support young musicians and music schools in developing countries and conflict areas is doing well, and they have some great success stories definitely worth sharing. We liked the stories so much that we asked Olivier Mari if we could share the success stories here on our blog. This was fine by Olivier Mari, so now you also have the opportunity to read more about Music Fund and their latest achievements.
Success at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt
”We were at the last Musikmesse in Frankfurt and it was a big success! At the fair we got in contact with many great trademarks and we are now receiving many gifts from them (instruments, strings, boxes etc.). The direction of the Musikmesse has further decided that next year’s Musikmesse (2012) will have a special focus on Music Fund, inviting all participants to donate instruments, tools and parts to Music Fund”.
Young Palestinians are getting training in repair-techniques of music instrument
“In the Middle East, Music Fund was recently adopted by the United Nations (UNRWA) and thanks to this we have finally been able to start a training program in Gaza. Since January, several luthiers have been teaching young Palestinians related to the music school of our private partner there (the Qattan Foundation – www.qattanfoundation.org) repair-techniques of music instruments. Besides this new project, Music Fund last year succeeded – after a 3 year training program – to have one Palestinian from Nablus to finish his studies and have him become the first certified piano-tuner in the West Bank. These are all very concrete interventions, which make a difference”.
Young Africans are getting educated as piano-tuners and repair-technicians
“In Africa, Music Fund continues its partnership with the big music school of Kinshasa (DR Congo). In June, the first Congolese piano-tuner will finish his studies with us, and next near a repair-technician for wind instruments. In Maputo (Mozambique) a piano-tuner finished his studies with us 2 years ago and is today doing well. Another Mozambican is now finishing his studies to become the first certified repair-technician of wind instruments in this country.”
Donations to the partner schools continue to grow
“All our partner-schools continue to receive donations of music instruments, and in 5 schools we have opened permanent repair workshops for music instruments. (A new permanent repair workshop has been opened this month at the Gaza Music School)”
The collection campaigns are a great success
“Big collecting campaigns are now being organised all over Europe, with great success. The last ones in Madrid collected 2009, 410 instruments and in Lisbon, 2010, 510 instruments. This Sunday, a collecting campaign is organised for Music Fund in Milan (Scala, May 2011 –www.milanomusica.it/musicfund). Of course, we can also expect a lot from next year’s collecting campaign organised by The Musikmesse.”
