Give Music a Chance is the slogan of the Belgian non-profit organization Music Fund, which supports young musicians and music schools in developing countries and in conflict regions.
In 2005, Music Fund started collecting used musical instruments of all sorts including strings, wind, brass and percussion. The instruments were repaired and donated to music schools in countries such as Palestine, Mozambique, DRC, Morocco and Haiti. To date, over 6000 instruments have been collected and more than 3000 of them have been delivered – importantly the instruments donated reflect the wishes of the local schools and musicians who may choose to play traditional, classical or contemporary music.
By ensuring a reliable supply of decent musical instruments, Music Fund helps young people access music education and share in the joys of music. Music Fund believes this can enrich lives and contribute to the cultural development of the local community, and also seek to integrate music into general education as a tool for learning. Music Fund experiences was recognized by the EU in 2010 as a best practice in Culture and Development.
Music Fund also seeks to build local capacity, so it trains local musicians in instrument repair and maintenance, starting with introductory workshops in the partner schools, then further training and finally inviting the best students for advanced training in Europe. Music Fund has its own training center for guitar repair in Marche-en-Famenne. It also helps the newly trained technicians to set up and equip their own repair workshops, enabling them to work both for the music school and the local community.
Proceeds from this years festival will go to support Music Fund’s work in Congo. You can read more about their work in Congo over the past year here.
Music Fund has many friends around the world. Here is a list of some of the organizations that support Music Fund.
Below you can see some videos of the amazing work that Music Fund does and the joy it brings to children around the world or check out their VIMEO CHANNEL.