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June 6, 2006

KEDM-FM kicks off instrument drive to benefit New Orleans musicians

Thousands of musicians lost their musical instruments to Hurricane Katrina last August. To remedy that loss, the staff of KEDM-FM, a public radio station housed at ULM, is collecting gently used musical instruments to distribute in New Orleans.

KEDM development director Susan Allain will transport the instruments to the Public Radio Development Exchange Annual Conference July 27-30. The Development Exchange will then donate instruments (collected from public radio stations nationwide) to the Tipitina's Foundation, a non-profit organization that is working to rebuild the music community in New Orleans.

"Everyone from school band students to professional musicians lost their instruments during the storm, so we thought this would be a great way to help out," Allain said. "We hope to make a statement by collecting the most instruments of all the other public radio stations. A lot of folks have a musical instrument just sitting in the closet of their home that isn't used anymore. We would encourage everyone to donate those instruments to our drive.

Instruments may be donated during business hours at KEDM's office, located at 225 Stubbs Hall on ULM's campus.

Collection dates for outside Monroe include:

• Bastrop - Friday, June 16, 8:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. at the Morehouse Chamber of Commerce office
  
  
• Ruston - Friday, June 23, 9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. at the Dixie Center for the Arts, 212 Vienna Street
  
  
• Winnsboro - Saturday, July 8 at the Winnsboro/Franklin Chamber of Commerce office, during regular business hours
  

Matt's Music, located in Monroe, is assisting with KEDM's drive.

For more information about the benefit, contact Susan Allain at 342-5556 or allain@ulm.edu

For more information about the Tipitina's Foundation, visit www.tipitinasfoundation.org

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