By STEVE BLATT

Bringing Music to Life, a Denver nonprofit, gave away hundreds of musical instruments to teachers from 52 Colorado schools (including 9 Denver Public Schools pictured above) on Aug. 12 at the Robert & Judi Newman Center at the University of Denver.

It was the thirteenth year the nonprofit has awarded instruments donated during its annual Instrument Drive. Assistant executive director Christine Andresen and board chairman Michael Frank welcomed the teachers, some of whom had driven eight hours to attend.

“Our theme this year was With a lot of help from our friends’, Andresen said, “because we wanted to recognize all the partners who make this possible.”

See the full story here.

The organization that provides instruments to students in struggling music programs needs more schools to apply.

By KATIE EASTMAN, 9News

 At Rocky Mountain Music Repair in Broomfield, owner Brian Stevenson is no stranger to cleaning old student instruments.

“Get all the chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and things out of ’em and kind of get ’em all refreshed that way,” he said while scrubbing a tuba.

Stevenson has become an expert in cleaning donated instruments that have sat in closets for decades. He can handle that. It’s the next step of the process he needs help with.

“We don’t yet have enough applications from schools,” said Steve Blatt, the program’s executive director. “We just want to give these away to schools that need them.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, 28 schools have applied.

Last year, they donated 684 instruments to 45 schools.

For the full story and to learn more click here.

The nonprofit drive asks the public for money to pay to repair instruments that are donated for students in struggling music programs across Colorado.

By NELSON GARCIA, 9News

The sounds of school have a different meaning in the band room for sophomore Sam Riggleman, who plays the trombone and the double bass in orchestra at George Washington High School.

“I feel like almost all of my friends are from band or orchestra,” Sam said, who added that music dominates her life. “… Thinking about, you know, what we’re gonna play next in concert band. What key should we learn next?”

Band director Rick Grassler wants to grow his music program to impact more students like Sam. He turns to nonprofits like Bringing Music to Life to provide curious musicians with donated instruments like Sam’s trombone.

9NEWS partners with the nonprofit Bringing Music to Life every year to ask people to donate used instruments to help students in struggling music programs across Colorado.

View or listen to the entire feature story and hear the George Washington High School orchestra here.