This month for The Local Take I speak with Ryan Kilgore, Clark Atlanta University alumnus and founder of the Kilgore Music Foundation. Each year the foundation promotes a month long instrument drive to provide students in our community with instruments that they can use for school and community band programs.
Ryan Kilgore shares how the foundation came into being and why it is so important to expose our children to music. He mentions that because he played the saxophone he has visited every continent except Antarctica and stuck his foot in almost every ocean on the planet.
He goes on to share that most often we only focus on the person in the spotlight, but the spotlight is only up for a short period of time and that many people in the industry from caterers to drum techs to make-up artist and sound engineers will still work long after the spotlight has gone off.
This year the instrument drive will end on May 24th. We are working to fill a 10,000 square foot warehouse with instruments. So check your basement, attic, garage and find any musical instruments that you are not using and turn it in at DeKalb Public Libraries branches: Salem-Panola, Flat Shoals or Wesley Chapel. For additional drop off locations check KilgoreMusicFoundation.com.
Ryan mentions that some instruments will need to be repaired and if that's your skill, they are looking for volunteers.
For more information on the Kilgore Music Foundation
For more information on Ryan Kilgore