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Toronto area businesses team-up to donate pianos to schools in Jamaica

By Michael Vincent on July 29, 2014

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Pianos can be an expensive prospect for public schools. Education budgets are tight, and in Jamaica, where books and teachers are in short supply, a piano can seem nearly unattainable.

But for Robert Lowrey Piano Experts, they’ve decided to do something about it. In a collaboration with Monarch Moving Systems and Allied International, (each donating their services for free) they will be sending 21 pianos to Montego Bay and Kindston, Jamaca for use to various schools across the region.

The pianos will be distributed by Bonnie Hoy, who runs a housing marketing and public relations firm here in Toronto.

“I had been giving scholarships to students in need to attend college at Bethlehem Moravian College in Jamaica,”  Hoy explained.  “I only ever saw one piano on the entire campus and that was in the church.  When a client of mine mentioned she had a friend (Mr. Lowrey) that had some used pianos and he needed to move them I realized I had just the place.  it was her suggestion that I make use of them somewhere and upon calling friends in Jamaica I found out that the need was phenomenal.”

Thus far the response by schools and teachers hoping to receive a piano has been overwhelming.

“At this point we are trying to give them to the neediest communities,” Hoy states.

After a tremendously successful first year, where they donated 14 pianos to the region, the need appears to be growing with students demonstrating great interest in learning the piano. Some have even taken to learning the piano using imaginary paper keyboards.

“I have heard from a piano teacher who lives near Black River, Jamaica that he’s been teaching a boy for free as his family is very poor.  The boy practices on a cut out keyboard on a table top.  He’s apparently only been playing for a year and a half and is playing Mozart. I’m going to visit this boy and hopefully give him a piano to practice on the next time I visit,” Hoy said.

This year’s shipment is scheduled to leave Toronto by the end of July, and will arrive in Jamaica just in time for the start of the 2014/15 school year.

 

Michael Vincent

Michael Vincent
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