Last Call for instruments to help heal our Vets

Changing Veterans’ lives through music, the hands-on kind
June 25, 2010 
by Bob Coulombe

GOOD MOOOOORNING, NEW CASTLE! I put out the word in February that I needed musical instruments for Veterans at the Bronx VA Hospital who are rehabilitating from wounds, illness and post-traumatic stress disorder. Inventory so far: 12 guitars, one violin, two banjos, one trumpet, two electric keyboards, one trombone, one flute, one cello, one autoharp, one sax, one clarinet, and one volunteer musician to refurbish the instruments before we turn them over to the VA in July. Any more instruments out there?Now that we have instruments for them, music lessons will be included as part of their therapy. Until now there were volunteers to teach but no instruments and no budget. We have changed that dynamic.

Besides benefactors’ excitement at donating their instruments, many have shared with me a number of lovely stories regarding who played the instruments and when, and their connections and memories of brothers and sisters at the VA hospitals. I received calls from outside the town from such places as Syracuse, Connecticut and Pennsylvania and further efforts are being initiated by such organizations as the Girl Scouts, the Marine Corps League and just plain wonderful citizens passing the word to friends. This outpouring of generosity and caring will not be lost on the veterans and staff of the VA Hospital. The impact of this effort will carry forward for a very long time.

Thank you New Castle, and if you did not remember you had that ol’ guitar in the basement, go get it and I will pick it up.

Bob Coulombe can be reached at 747-4322 or by email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). He also acts as conduit for gifts of other kinds. See NCNOW’s Letter to the Editor of 6/11/10, “Memorial Day gift from a resident is a home run for three soldiers, one son.”