“Replay!” Will Benefit Music Programs in Columbus Schools
Contact Meredith Hart, Marketing & Communications Director 614.247.2675, meredith.hart@wosu.org
COLUMBUS, OHIO, July 10, 2017 – WOSU Public Media’s Classical 101 will be connecting with the Columbus community in a unique way this summer. The local classical music radio station will be collecting musical instruments to help ensure that students in Columbus schools can experience the personal and academic benefits that music education affords. Replay! is Classical 101’s instrument drive, connecting aspiring young musicians with instruments. The drive runs July 31 through August 4, 2017.
Anyone wishing to donate a new or gently used instrument can drop it off at the offices of WOSU Public Media in the Fawcett Center at 2400 Olentangy River Road in Columbus. The instruments will be delivered to Columbus City Schools to be refreshed and distributed to students for use in school music programs. Most in demand are band and orchestra instruments, many of which gather dust in attics and basements after a student stops playing. Making sure those instruments get a second chance to sing is the idea behind Replay!
The idea of a musical instrument drive clearly resonates with the staff at WOSU.
As Classical 101 Program Director Cheryl Dring noted, “Almost everyone I talk to, musician or not, has a story to tell about a music teacher or music program that really made an impact on them. Those stories are sometimes funny, sometimes quite moving…but it’s clear those musical experiences stay with them throughout their lives.”
Supporting music education is an important mission for Classical 101 and WOSU Public Media. Studies have shown that children who participate in music programs perform better, both academically and socially. With Replay!, WOSU hopes to offset the difficulties music educators have in finding adequate resources.
As the Supervisor for Unified Arts K-12 in Columbus City Schools, Betty Hill attests, “access to a music instrument can make a huge difference in the lives of students.”
In lieu of providing instruments, donors can make monetary contributions to support Classical 101 and its programming and community outreach projects. Participants and donors can also share information about the drive with the hashtag #Replay101 on social media. For more information about the Classical 101 Instrument Drive, please visit wosu.org/replay.
Classical 101, at 101.1 FM, is the only 24-hour classical music radio station in Central Ohio and is the hub of a five-station network of classical stations across Ohio. It features a variety of programs, podcasts, live in-studio performances, and recordings of local orchestras and ensembles. Listeners can also hear the classical music service at WOSU HD-2 on 89.7 FM, through the online stream at wosu.org, and by downloading the free WOSU Public Media mobile app.
WOSU Public Media is a community-supported, noncommercial network of public radio and television stations and digital services.