Young people and their families come to A Place Called Home, in Los Angeles with a broad array of needs that require a multi-faceted response including academic tutoring, counseling, nutrition, agriculture, art, music, and more that supports the development of healthy, self-reliant, motivated, community-minded young adults and healthy family systems. In 2020, pInstruments became a key resource in this effort.
Elizabeth Knickerbocker of APCH reports: "Fall 2020 was the first semester that we were able to open a space for exposure-based brass learning for our elementary and middle school members. We combined this class with our Intro to Woodwinds class for the new and improved Intro to Winds. The plastic instruments not only expanded our inventory to allow more members to try them but also created a safer option for sending instruments home to members during the pandemic since all of our programming is now virtual.
"Over the semester 11 members chose the trumpet, one chose the cornet, and one the pBuzz. Every single member that took a pInstrument home stated they were interested in learning more about brass! A few members also stood out from the crowd with how quickly they were able to pick up the concepts. One of these members even inquired about private lessons, so we are still on the hunt for a more advanced brass instructor to continue building on this momentum. Because of the excitement to learn more, we have created the space for Intro to Brass separate from the woodwinds class. Currently, there are 15 members registered, many of them returning from the fall. We even purchased an additional 5 pTrumpets for the spring to ensure that everyone can take home their first choice. Long term, we plan to have the exposure-based class be the pipeline to more advanced learning."
Non-profits, large and small alike, are finding that pInstruments serve at-risk communities very well. To learn more about pInstruments and creating greater accessibility to music, contact us.