If you have a skeleton in your closet, keep it there. But if an unused clarinet, trumpet or other musical instrument is lurking under a layer of dust, a Macomb High School student is asking you to share it with the world.
Senior Scott Cousins is coordinating an effort to collect instruments for Hungry for Music, a nonprofit organization that repairs and distributes about 2,000 instruments worldwide each year. In its 31-year history, Hungry for Music has put instruments in the hands of children who otherwise could not afford to participate. Besides helping foster children’s love for music, Cousins’ project is the last step to earning his Eagle Scout rank.
He will host a collection site at the auditorium entrance to Macomb High School, 1525 S. Johnson St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 6 and Sept. 13.
“This is my seventh year in band,” Cousins said.
“When I joined band, I noticed how expensive the rent was on the music instruments. And I play the saxophone, which is one of the more expensive ones. My scoutmaster, Heidi Benson, came along with this idea of collecting instruments because her son was in band with me. And I'm like, that's a wonderful idea.” With the help of other scouts from Troop 4332 at St. Paul Church, Cousins is spreading the word through flyers, letters and emails.
Schools within one hour of Macomb and many colleges have been notified about his mission.
“Hungry for Music works out of Woodstock, Virginia,” Cousins said. “The instruments will be sent off to Virginia. They'll be fixed over there, and they'll be sent to youth programs across the world.”
Hungry for Music is accepting requests for instruments from teachers and other personnel at Title One public schools through Oct. 10 this year.
Applications are available at hungryformusic.org.
Instruments are distributed to other countries through sponsors in the U.S., such as businesses, schools and churches.
“Don't worry if it's broken and or if it needs fixed or cleaned up,” Cousins said, adding that only broken electronic instruments aren’t accepted. “As long as you have something you can give and you're willing to give it, we are able to take it off your hands.”
About 15% of the instruments received by Hungry for Music are unusable.
Irrevocably broken instruments are given away as materials for artists to make new creations.
Cousins began playing the alto saxophone and switched to the larger, lower-octave baritone two years ago. He didn’t choose the woodwind instrument; it chose him.
“In sixth grade, the band directors would put the different mouthpieces up to our mouths and they’d tell us to buzz it or just play it,” he said. “I went through every single mouthpiece including clarinet, which is similar to the saxophone, and they were like, nothing is working. The saxophone is your last option. I blew and it sounded like a wild goose. I was the strongest saxophone player there.
I was pretty happy about that.”
Cousins became a Cub Scout in second grade. He worked his way through the ranks of Wolf Cub through Life Scout, the highest rank preceding Eagle Scout.
“I've always been on track to reach Eagle, and I did everything like going for that extra badge, going for that extra class or extra requirement.”
Eagle Scout candidates are required to complete their final project before turning 18. Cousins will hit that milestone in December.
After high school graduation, he will join the Air Force, hoping to become a scientific applications specialist. Then he plans on going to college and studying engineering, physics or mathematics.
He also plans on keeping – and playing – his saxophone.
