With the aim of getting old instruments into the hands of new players and providing the raw materials for some practical work experience activity, CGX signed up as a local distribution hub in the 2018 Scotland wide Instrument Amnesty initiated by Zero Waste Scotland.
In partnership with the Maclaurin Trust, Ayrshire Music Festival, Ayrshire Instrumental Music Services and award of a grant at the Ayr South and Coylton Health & Social Care Partnership participatory budgeting event, CGX volunteers transformed a unit in Ayr Kyle Centre into a pop-up music and instrument workshop.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the members of the Ayrshire community who raided their attics, spare rooms, sheds and garages for unused instruments and donated them to us - we have been humbled and encouraged by people's generosity! Developing volunteer logistics and customer services skills, we have been able to redistribute selected instruments to primary schools and community music groups. Local musicians have joined our volunteers testing the pianos, organs, fiddles, drums and guitars, passing on their skills and advice on making them playable. Volunteer musicians have also helped us run a music workshop for a local group caring for young people with disabilities.
From plectrums to pianos, members of the public have continued to donate old instruments and we are now preparing and selling them at affordable prices to new players, young and old! The receipt of electrical instruments such as guitar amps and 1970s vintage organs has given us the opportunity to train a volunteer in portable appliance testing - a skill that will enable us to test, use and sell other electrical goods in our ongoing social enterprise. The income from such donations is helping to sustain the work experience opportunities as we transition the project into a household furniture upcycling and resale charitable social enterprise.
We are celebrating the 2018 Instrument Amnesty with an hour of music and sharing a few volunteer stories at the Kyle Centre unit between 10:30 and 11:30 on Saturday 30th June. You are very welcome to pop-in and join us!