This International Repair Day, renowned music retailer Millers Music, based in Cambridge, has announced the launch of its game-changing piano donation initiative, Piano Equals.
The new programme aims to tackle unequal access to music education and sustainability in the music industry by assessing, repairing and reusing the thousands of older, quality pianos that sit idle in homes across the UK before matching them with a local school or community organisation that can truly benefit from them.
At the heart of the initiative is a desire to support the growth of a more equitable and sustainable music industry by addressing the challenge of instrument waste: the incremental carbon cost of using an existing instrument saves an estimated 97% of the carbon footprint of shipping a new one from the other side of the world.* To showcase how we can give new life to our own instruments, Millers Music will be hosting an all-day instrument repair workshop on Wednesday 30 October at the Grand Arcade in Cambridge for its annual sustainability event, Let’s Go Circular. Individuals can register their interest at: https://www.grandarcade.co.uk/events/music-instruments-repairs-piano-equals/
Simon Pollard, Managing Director at Millers Music, said: “We believe every child deserves access to high quality musical instruments, but inequality in music education is widening. Studies have shown that music has the power to transform people’s lives, and at Millers Music we believe that increasing access to high quality instruments is fundamental to this vision. Not only can a piano donation inspire and unleash musical creativity but also makes quality instruments more accessible and sustainable for all. Piano Equals aims to facilitate this by sharing our expertise and resources to reuse thousands of unused pianos and give the gift of music.”
Thanks to the new initiative, a number of local schools and organisations have already benefited from the Cambridgeshire pilot. Cambridge Acorn Project, a therapeutic service provider for children and families in Cambridge, has been one of the first. Deputy CEO, Hannah Chapman, said: “Access to enrichment such as playing a musical instrument is really important for children’s positive outcomes as they grow up, and for those living in financial hardship it is often more difficult to access these enrichment activities. Thanks to Piano Equals we are able to remove these barriers to music, which can lead to positive outcomes in children including increased self-confidence, improved mastery and good mental health.”
Organisations across the UK – including schools, charities, churches, and community groups – are welcome to apply for a piano donation by submitting an enquiry to Piano Equals. Millers Music will assess the needs of each application before matching organisations with a restored instrument and overseeing the delivery. If you are interested in donating an instrument, or in applying for a donation through Piano Equals, please visit: millersmusic.co.uk/pianoequals
* Calculations made based on the following government source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2020
