KID Project

New in 2024, the KSO Instrument Donation Project (KID Project) collects unwanted or unused band or orchestra instruments from the community. These instruments will be inspected, cleaned, and repaired. We will donate these instruments to DeKalb County school music departments for use by aspiring music students who cannot afford to rent or purchase their own instrument.
The KID Project’s goal is to ensure that every student in DeKalb County has the chance to participate in school orchestra and band programs. By removing financial barriers, we aim to ignite a passion for music within students and nurture their talent. Many eager learners in our community have the desire to embrace music, yet financial constraints hold them back. The KID Project helps to bridge this gap by providing refurbished or new instruments to DeKalb County music programs, enriching the lives of students who would otherwise miss out on such opportunities. A matching grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council enables us to partner with local musicians, luthiers, and instrument repair technicians to assess, repair, and restore the instruments we receive to prepare them for a new life in the hands of a deserving student musician.
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Do you have a gently used instrument gathering dust in your home? We welcome donations of all types of band and orchestra instruments including strings, woodwinds, brass, and auxiliary percussion.

Instruments NOT accepted at this time:

pianos
organs
keyboards
accordions
guitars and other strummed instruments
amps
full drum sets
"toy" instruments (such as toddler xylophones, etc.)

Here is how you may contribute to this meaningful cause:

Bring your instrument to an upcoming KSO Concert at the NIU Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. KSO members at the ticket table will be happy to accept your instrument donation before the start of the concert.

Contact Deb Loitz at  musicoutreach@kishorchestra.org to make arrangements to drop off your donation.

If you do not have an instrument to donate but still want to support the KID Project, we gladly accept monetary donations for repairs as well.

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For more information, please contact Deb Loitz, KSO Music Education Outreach Chair, at musicoutreach@kishorchestra.org.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council, which receives support from the City of Rockford, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and its members.

This program is also partially supported by: