KEOKUK, IOWA -- Many students develop a love for music during their time in a school band, but for some, finding an instrument to practice on can be difficult.
A group of volunteers in Keokuk hope to change that.
"It's kind of self serving because we know that exposure to music at a young age sometimes develops a great appreciate for music, not just blues music here, but all times of music. Obviously we have to have music appreciators coming up or this thing will fold when we're too old to chase the ball," one of the volunteers, Randy Fish said.
Shortly after last year's Rollin' on the River blues festival, Fish and his wife began working with area band directors on a program to refurbish band instruments. The couple volunteers their time to help put on the festival and wanted to expand their volunteer work within the music field.
"We're just trying to get the program rolling, I think it's going to be a great program. It's really not cheap to buy or even rent a band instrument so I think there's a market of kids that are not being served so I hope to fill that niche," Irene Fish explained.
The idea is to collect old band instruments, have them refurbished, and then lend them to young musicians who may not otherwise have the chance to practice outside of school.
"Maybe they'll become professionals, maybe they'll just play around with it, or if nothing else, maybe the will just learn to appreciate music as they grow up, it's a good activity," Randy Fish said.
As an incentive to get people to search through closets and under beds for unused instruments to donate, anyone who brings a band instrument to Rollin' on the River in Victory Park this weekend will receive free admission.
Instrument donations will be tax deductible.
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