West Music Staff Blogs

I received a phone call about 4 months ago from Aypryl, a youth librarian at the Cedar Falls Public Library. She explained to me that in order to keep children connected to books and reading during the summer months, the Cedar Falls Public Library would host a 6-week summer program. This summer's theme was MUSIC!

The staff provided weekly contests, crafts, and creative activities for children entering grades 1 - 6. Participants had the opportunity to earn free books by making weekly visits to the library. In addition to these events, free live music performances were held on Thursday evenings. Many local acts were asked to perform, they included Ed East (Latin/Afro-Cuban percussion), Checker and the Bluetones (Classic rock + more), and New Horizons Band (community band for retirees). Other acts included The Ruins of Ooah (didgeridoo group from Oregon), and yes, even a bagpiper!

So, where does West Music fit into this all? Aypryl expressed interest in obtaining musical instruments for the youth to explore for the duration of the program. With guidance from management, we created a working partnership with the library. We loaned them the instruments free of charge because we believed that the library was exemplifying our mission statement; To enrich people's lives through participation in music.

West Music placed many items for the children to explore: a Remo Tubano, Zydeco Washboard Tie, Basic Beat slapstick, ratchet, and tambourine, Latin Percussion cabasa, and to top it off, a Yamaha P85 digital piano!

The children were encouraged to explore the instruments and create music. I personally saw the excitement of a few children sitting down at a keyboard for the first time in their lives. The smile on their faces while they created music is what West Music is in this business for -- experiencing the power of making music.

After the summer program wrapped up and we were hauling the gear out of the library, I had a chance to wrap up with Aypryl. "The music was non-stop this summer! It added such a nice element to what we're trying to accomplish… it was a great partnership. We estimate that around 3,600 youth and adults participated in our program this summer, many of them returning several times."

The mission of the Cedar Falls Public Library is to promote literacy and provide open access to resources which facilitate lifelong learning. West Music is very proud to sponsor such a great local program aimed at education, exploration, and fun.

Cedar Falls Public Library is located 524 Main Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613.