Burnaby launches program to make musical instruments, lessons more accessible for kids
Posted December 12, 2021 9:23 am.
Last Updated December 12, 2021 12:44 pm.
Burnaby city councillor and local punk legend Joe Keithley knows first-hand how life-changing — and fun — learning how to make music can be. And he doesn’t think any kid should lose out on the chance because of cost.
Next Saturday, the City will launch its Harmony for All program with an instrument donation drive. An initiative championed by Keithley, the goal is to connect kids in the city to free instruments and low or no-cost lessons.
He says if a single lesson is $35, the cost of learning adds up pretty quickly. One lesson per week for a year at that rate would cost $1,820.
“Unless you’re the next Jimi Hendrix you’re probably gonna need more than 10 lessons or 20 or 30,” Keithley says.
Everyone deserves the chance to learn to play music. On December 18, donate your gently used musical instruments at City Hall with @DOAJoe and help a Burnaby child discover their new passion through the Harmony for All program. Learn more: https://t.co/aZSQBGJwEB pic.twitter.com/RFmGMqpqfl
— City of Burnaby (@CityofBurnaby) December 6, 2021
Before he was the lead singer and guitarist for DOA, he was an unpopular kid attending a Burnaby high school. But when he started playing music, he became less isolated.
“It’s a great thing and it really helps you to open up to people and make friends,” he says.
“Music’s fun. It’s pretty exciting too. When you learn to play a song, sing a song, or learn to drum — or whatever instrument you’re looking to get into — it’s a real sense of accomplishment. And I just think that’s what it meant to me. I just love music, and I’ve made a career out of it.”
Another reason he says music is important is because it breaks down barriers, and brings people together.
“Considering like how many new Canadians we have, it does open up doors and it crosses cultures in a lot of really cool ways. I think it helps kids become make friends in school which can be very difficult when you move to a new place,” he explains.
“We’re in a real time of upheaval, and there’s a lot of hatred and prejudice. But music is the language of love. And it’s the one language that everybody in the world all likes, right? It doesn’t matter what their point of view is or where they’re from, it overcomes, it bridges that gap.”
Accordions, oboes, violins, harmonicas, keyboards, guitars, any and all instruments will be gratefully accepted — except for upright pianos.
“Basically, we just ask people, ‘Hey, make sure they’re in half-decent shape,’ so we don’t spend the whole budget trying to refurbish them, right?”
Keithley will be joined by Burnaby firefighters on December 18 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the parking lot of city hall at 4949 Canada Way. The city has committed $72,000 to launch the program and the Burnaby Fire department’s charitable organization has committed to donating $10,000 each year. The launch of the instrument lending program is set for Spring of 2022.
And Keithley wants to be clear, the program isn’t only for kids who want to rock like he does.
“Even though I have a background in loud, heavy rock music, punk rock, the idea is to help people learn whatever kind of music that they want to learn was from Bhangra, to electronica, to hip hop, to country to metal, to punk, to whatever you know, it’s wide open right? So we’re trying to make the program as all-encompassing as possible.”
