The local music community received a huge boost earlier this week, as Musical Empowerment revealed it has received the largest donation of instruments in the 18-year history of its non-profit organization.

Bob Moulton — a North Carolina native and founder of National Pawn — donated more than 120 instruments to the local non-profit, which serves children from communities in North Carolina, New Hampshire and New York.

Moulton presented the donation this past Wednesday at YouthWorx in Carrboro, with some of the organization’s college mentors there to accept.

Musical Empowerment says its goals are to offer equitable access to music education by pairing children with such college mentors to inspire resilience and confidence.

With 95 percent of the program’s students coming from low-income families, the Instrument Loan program gives kids a chance to borrow an instrument at no cost. After three years of lessons, they are then allowed to keep the instrument for life.

There are currently seven student-led college chapters, with the first one being founded at UNC. The others are at NC State, High Point, Wake Forest, NC Central, East Carolina and Dartmouth.

Music Empowerment says new chapters at Appalachian State and Hunter College in New York City are also in the works.

 

Photo via Musical Empowerment (Facebook)

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