In Honor of Our 170th Year
As a performance venue, community gathering location, movie theater, and host of a wide variety of events, Liberty Hall is excited to announce Phase One of a working partnership with the Duke Ellington Family of New York City and Meyer Music Stores of Kansas City/Overland Park, said Josh Millstein, co-owner of Liberty Hall.
The joint effort aims to replicate the successful “Band of Angels” program started by Meyer Music Stores and Co-Founder Fox 4 Television of Kansas City — a community drive to collect used musical instruments from the Lawrence area. Will Assist in the Cost of the Repair of Those Instruments Donated Deemed Usable. Any Instruments Deemed Unusable, will be Used for Parts, to repair Other Instruments. Any Other Instrument pieces will be used to Create Art Sculptures. “Nothing Goes to Waste,” said Mike Meyer.
Liberty Hall, Tom Alexios (Director of Outreach Programs for the Duke Ellington Family), and Mike Meyer (co-owner of Meyer Music Stores) will work together to place the donated instruments into the hands of young students in the Lawrence community who have limited resources. Every young student deserves a chance to play a musical instrument. In addition to student placement, the program will also look to support music therapy programs for both young people and seniors throughout our community.
This is Phase One of a multi-year, multi-phase campaign, coordinated alongside Liberty Hall’s building restoration efforts as we work toward our 175th anniversary in 2031.
According to Tom Alexios, the used instrument drive will also serve as a pilot program for the Duke Ellington Family, with plans to roll it out in other cities across the country where the Ellington Family has established community contacts.
The goal is to have Music Inc. Magazine — a trade publication distributed to full-service music stores nationwide — cover the program, with the hope that other music stores around the country will follow Meyer Music Stores’ lead in their own communities.
Instrument Drop-Off: Liberty Hall Ticket Office Thursday – Sunday: 2:00–9:00 PM