Sep 14, 2012

All Systems GO!

Online Instrument Drive (OID) Ready for Launch: Monday, September 17, 2012



Online Instrument Drives (OID) Music Teacher Request

From the start, Ear Candy Charity has been dedicated to providing youth access to music education. After a year of planning and preparation, we’re excited for the launch our Online Instrument Drives (OID) system on Monday, September 17, 2012. 

Support for music education in schools is disappearing, leaving thousands of youth without access to the educational benefits it offers. Even as interest in band and music programs grow, it can be difficult for music teachers to adapt to these growing pains when working with so few resources. One of the biggest difficulties they face is a lack of instruments. The OID system is a resource to connect music teachers and their students with the millions of perfectly good instruments collecting dust around the country.

In the past Ear Candy provided donated instruments by conducting physical instrument drives at fire stations throughout the Phoenix area. This model worked well on a local level, but we wanted to devise a program model that would enable us to place donated instruments in any music program in the country. We turned to technology and the web, developing Online Instrument Drives, an easy to use donation platform hosted on Ear Candy’s website.

Online Instrument Drives connects music teachers and their students with instruments and financial donors in the community. The process starts when a music teacher posts an instrument request. Over the last few months we’ve gathered requests from across Maricopa County, from music teachers like Mrs. Bruso at Sunset Elementary School. Recognizing the dedication and passion for music in her students, her request for a flute, cornet, viola, and clarinet comes from the desire to not have to turn away any more students from her program because of a lack of instruments.

At Ed & Verma Pastor Elementary School, Mr. Lopez’s band is in need of trombones. The program has grown exponentially over the last three years from 28 to130 students. Being part of the band has been a source of pride and joy for so many students at the school, it has motivated Mr. Lopez to find the resources his program needs to thrive and continue to have a positive impact.

On Monday, when system goes live for the first time, these requests will be visible and you can browse requests, see pictures of students and read about each music program’s need. Instrument and financial donors are then empowered to decide which music program(s) to support, and have the assurance of knowing exactly where their donation is going.

Even if you don’t have an instrument to donate, you can still help by pledging to cover repair and shipping costs to get the instrument to the school. Crowdfunding is built into the OID process by leveraging social networks to secure small donations from a large number of donors. Music teachers, students, donors, and supporters in the community contribute to the success of a request by using built-in social media share tools to broadcast appeals for support. This is the same fundraising strategy DonorsChoose.org used to raise over 32.7 million dollars in support of classroom projects in 2011.

From start to finish, the instrument donation process is transparent, interactive and engaging for all parties involved. At the same time, it captures and shares the stories of music teachers, students, instrument donors, and financial donors involved in the process.


We have an obligation to ensure the next generation has the opportunity to embrace and benefit from music education. Let’s continue to help get instruments into the hands of students that need them the most. On Monday, September 17, 2012 check out the website to view requests and see how you can be part of the solution: Ear Candy OID

Sep 6, 2012

Celebrity Sightings at Ear Candy

Things have been a little crazy at the Ear Candy office lately. We’ve been busy, but that isn’t to say that we haven’t been able to still have some fun. While we’re elbow deep into our Indiegogo Online Giving Campaign and close to losing our minds (not really -- but it's been busy), one thing we do know is, we haven't lost our sense of humor. We got creative and filmed a few short Celebrity Impersonation PSAs that we thought you would enjoy.

The first in the series is from the rock group, Nickelback's front man, Chad Kroeger. Chad has been making a few headlines with rumors of his new romance with fellow Canadian and pop princess Avril Lavigne, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have time to stop by the office and give some rock star support to Ear Candy:


Don't forget to post the video to your social networking sites. Share it with friends to help remind them about that Nickelback phase they went through. And be sure to include some of the lyrics to "Rockstar" in your post. We know they'll love you more for it. 


The second video in our series of PSAs comes from the young heroine of the new Disney Pixar film, Brave. While our video isn’t set in the scenic foothills of Scotland, we found an equally dangerous and magical parking lot that seemed to do the trick. With fiery red hair and brave smile, "Princess Merida" is determined to save music education.



We hope you enjoyed these first two gems. Stay tuned for more Celebrity Impersonation PSAs coming your way really soon.

I Run For...

Thousands of athletes continue to participate in races annually, but charity running has created an even greater boom in the popularity of endurance sports. Runners looking to give meaning to their races and training bring in millions of dollars to support varying causes each year. P.F. Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Arizona alone, has a list of over ten charities to choose from, all of which are worthy causes to support.

Reasons for choosing a specific charity to support differs from person to person, but one of the biggest draws is a personal connection. For those that run to beat cancer, many run in honor of loved ones who have passed or in celebration of those who continue to fight. Individuals will have their support decorated on shirts, plastered on signs, or even have it written all over their body. After all, when it's written all over your arm, it's impossible to not stay motivated during every mile of your race.

When I decided to join the Rock the Run team and raise money for Ear Candy Charity, one of the first things I asked myself, was "who or what would I run for?" I'm by no means a musician, nor am I parent or an educator,but I still knew that music education was so important to me. But I needed to figure how music was going to motivate me. What was my connection to music education?

For me, I'm always looking for the things in life that can bring us as people all together. There are language barriers and cultural differences that can sometimes set us apart, but there are also many universal ways of communicating that can link us back, such as through non-verbal activities like sport, dance, movement, and...music. For many young students, music is a way to express themselves. If we really want kids to develop their own voice, we need to let them use it in whatever form possible even if it's through learning chords, playing notes and reading sheet music.

So I'm running in honor of the musicians, the parents, and the educators who believe in music education for children. Most of all, I'm running in celebration of my own parents, who listened with the utmost patience while 'Three Blind Mice' was played on my recorder on repeat, who drove me to and from piano lessons, and most of all, who taught me to love music.

Who would you run for? It's not too late to sign up to run as part of Ear Candy's Rock the Run team. We have an upcoming information meeting coming up, come out and meet fellow team coaches and team members, and get all your questions answered.

Rock the Run Informational Meeting:
Thursday September 13, 2012 (5:30 - 7:00 pm)
Ear Candy Office (200 E Curry Road, Lower Level Tempe, AZ 85281).