Ravinia partnership asks for recycled musical instruments
The Ravinia District and Ravinia Festival are teaming up once again to collect musical instruments to be refurbished, "recycled" and placed into the hands of children in underserved communities.
Seventeen businesses in the Ravinia District are serving as drop locations through June 9 for individuals who wish to donate instruments to the program.
Last year, 60 instruments were collected for Ravinia Festival's "Reach*Teach*Play" education program, which serves more than 75,000 people each year, ensuring that music education remains accessible to all.
Building on the success of its original El Sistema program in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, which offers students in grades 3-8 daily ensemble and orchestra instruction, this year's instrument drive will be used for a student orchestra program that has been expanded to Waukegan and other Lake County communities.
The partnership of the neighboring Ravinia Festival with Ravinia District merchants is a natural fit. The artistically minded business district houses a piano school and a violin workshop that repairs and sells violins, violas and other string instruments.
Live musical performances can often be found at Madame ZuZu's tea house and outdoors throughout the summer at the corner of Roger Williams and St. Johns avenues and at historic Jens Jensen Park, while Ravinia Festival is the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and endeavors to make music of all types accessible and relatable to everyone.
Businesses serving as instrument drop locations before the Ravinia Festival season begins include: Design Quartet @ Ravinia, Field Violin, Full Circle Architects, Highland Park Bank & Trust, J.A. Palminteri Insurance Agency, Jeff Cohen Photography, Jewel Nail Spa, Madame ZuZu's, The Nail Shop and Spa, Paw Parlour, Piero's Pizza, Principessa, Ravinia Barbershop, Ravinia Coffee Station, Style Hunters, Weiland Flowers and Zina Katsman Piano for Everyone.
Stores will have a green flyer posted in the window for ease in identification, and the business that collects the most instruments will receive 10 lawn tickets to Ravinia Festival. See individual business websites for hours of operation.
The instrument drive ends on June 9, as Ravinia Festival opens its gates and summer events kickoff in the Ravinia District, including Wednesday morning Farmers Markets; Ravinia District Food Truck Thursdays, June 1 to Sept 14; and many other activities to be announced.
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