Newport Festivals Foundation Partners with local music shops for First-of-it’s-Kind Instrument Donation Program to Support Rhode Island Public Schools.

Starting today, all are welcome to bring gently used instruments to Newport Music in Newport, Rick’s Musical Instruments in Cumberland or Bravo Musical Instruments in Rehoboth, MA and Newport Festivals Foundation will cover the costs to “clean up” and/or make minor repairs. Once the instrument is ready, Newport Festivals Foundation will match it with a public school in RI.  

Said Jay Sweet, Executive Producer of Newport Festivals: “We wanted to create a program that does three things: Supports music education programs in RI Public Schools, supports our local music shops, and provides our festival community with a way to give back. As a nonprofit that supports music education, our generous fans constantly ask if we take used instruments. Our answer up until now has been, ‘we just don’t have the expertise to fix them’ – by partnering with Rick’s and Bravo, we found the solution.

“For us, it was an easy decision,” said Richard J. Verfaille, owner of Rick’s and Bravo. “We have all the instrument repair technicians and the storage space needed to house the instruments that the Newport Festivals Foundation will be collecting.  The goal for us is, and always has been, to promote school music band programs. This is a great way to get instruments that are not in “playing condition”, back up to par and in the hands of students who will bring them back to life! We are thrilled to partner with such a wonderful foundation to help keep music alive in the local school systems.”

Donated instruments must be hand delivered to the shops and not shipped. Staff will evaluate each instrument and decide if they’re worth taking in.

Newport Festivals Foundation is encouraging Rhode Island public school teachers and administrators to reach out with any instrument needs – info@newportfestivals.org

Address for Newport Music:
142 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840

Address for Rick’s Musical Instruments:
2352 Mendon Road, Cumberland, RI 02864

Address for Bravo Musical Instruments
Mills Plaza II, 492 Winthrop Street #8, Rehoboth, MA 02769