'Musical Instruments Left Neglected at Home' Donated and Shared with Citizens and Students

Seoul City Resumes 'Instrument Sharing Project'... Reborn as New Instruments After Repair and Tuning at Nakwon Sangga

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 4th that it will carry out an 'Instrument Donation and Sharing' project, where unused instruments are donated, repaired, and then given to facilities or students in need of instruments.

To create an 'Instrument Sharing Society' where any citizen can learn and enjoy playing instruments, the city signed a business agreement in September 2019 with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Beautiful Store Foundation. Each organization is responsible for different tasks such as instrument donation reception, repair and tuning, promotion of instrument donation and sharing, and beneficiary selection.

Last year, through this campaign, a total of 626 instruments of 25 types were donated over 40 days and delivered to facilities used by socially vulnerable groups such as Our Neighborhood Care Centers, 50 Plus Centers, Child Welfare Associations, and Youth Centers. Additionally, 49 instruments of 6 types including violins, cellos, and digital pianos were given to 45 students of the 'Dream Orchestra' who previously had to share instruments during lessons due to lack of personal instruments.

This year, under the slogan "Breathing new life into sleeping instruments, a hope vaccine for weary hearts," the '2020 Instrument Sharing Society - Vaccine (100Scene) Project' will be conducted alongside, sharing the value of hope beyond simple instrument donation to help overcome COVID-19 blues.

Anyone who has idle instruments can participate in the donation, and the reception period is six weeks until the 15th of next month. Donations can be made by visiting one of the 29 Beautiful Store locations in Seoul or the Seoul Life Culture Center Nakwon (1st floor of Nakwon Arcade), or by applying via phone or the website of the Seoul Life Culture Center Nakwon.

Donated instruments include all Western and Eastern instruments such as violins, flutes, and gayageum, but consumable instruments like recorders, tambourines, and ocarinas are excluded.

Donated instruments will be repaired and tuned at low cost with the help of instrument repair artisans in Nakwon Instrument Arcade, then re-donated or lent to citizens in need. Also, as part of COVID-19 prevention measures, all instruments will be thoroughly disinfected and dried before being safely delivered.

Applications for instrument beneficiaries can also be made through the Seoul Life Culture Center Nakwon website.

Distribution of donated instruments will reflect demand surveys as much as possible, with priority given to socially vulnerable groups who need instruments more, in consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Beautiful Store Foundation, and will be evenly distributed by region.

Meanwhile, at the Seoul Life Culture Center Nakwon, various follow-up events will be held, from club recitals to life arts orchestra concerts, where citizens and students who have improved their skills with donated instruments gather.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Culture Headquarters, said, "We hope many citizens will participate in instrument donation so that instruments sleeping somewhere in their homes can become companion instruments for citizens who find it difficult to purchase them." He added, "Especially this year, the project will be more meaningful as it conveys hope to artists and citizens going through difficult times due to COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.