Changing Lives One Note at a Time

Students who learn to play a musical instrument see:

  • Increased High School Graduation Rates
  • Increased Math Scores
  • Increased Self-Esteem
  • Increased Language Scores
  • Increased Spatial Reasoning
  • Reduced Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Why does learning to play a musical instrument make such a difference?

John Dani, PhD, chair of Neuroscience at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine says “It engages every major part of the central nervous system, tapping into both the right and left sides of the brain.”

Meet Kalijah

In the 5th grade, Kalijah was in the Instruments of Change program at Clair Mel Elementary school.

He excelled in band in middle and high school.  He attended Blake High School, an arts magnet school where students have to audition to get into the band.

Years after earning his trumpet through hard work in the Instruments of Change program, Kalijah was accepted into the music program at Florida State University.

In his own words, he describes what it meant to have an opportunity to participate in our band program.

About Us

Learning to play an instrument can bring about positive changes in the life of a child. Studies have shown this for decades…

Band Programs

This is our 12th year for our elementary school band programs and we’ve seen some of our kids grow into accomplished musicians…

Contact Us

Changing Lives One Note at a Time. Instruments of Change, Inc. is a grass-roots, 501(c)3 public charity. We would love to hear from you…

This short video is from a performance at the Multicultural Festival in Ybor City

We strive to provide performance opportunities for our students.  Practice is important but playing in front of a crowd brings immediate feedback.

The applause and cheers bring a tremendous boost to their self-esteem.

This boost helps to keep the students connected to band and to their school.  There’s a true sense of accomplishment when an audience claps, cheers and whistles for the kids.

They quickly connect these positive feelings to the hard work they put in to be able to play in front of an audience.

Please consider donating today.