About Music4Life
What We Do
At Music4Life™, we believe that music education can change lives. Yet, for many families, economic challenges can place that education completely out of reach for students who would benefit from these opportunities. Music4Life helps families overcome that barrier by placing quality musical instruments directly into the hands of students in need.
Our goal is to put donated and repaired musical instruments into the hands of students who need them and to ensure strong instrument music programs throughout the communities we serve. As a nonprofit, we accept donated instruments, raise funds for repairs, coordinate those repairs with our network of Preferred Vendors and place those repaired instruments with our participating school district Chapters.
Music4Life currently partners with public school districts throughout the greater Seattle area and we look forward to continuing to expand to additional school districts in future. We are committed to serving both larger urban districts and smaller rural communities where geographic or economic barriers may limit access to music education resources.
How It Works
Music4Life™ accepts instruments donated by individuals, families, businesses and community members who recognize that the highest and best use of an unused instrument is to place it back into active service for students. Those donated instruments are evaluated, repaired, restored to playing condition and shared within our network of school district Chapters.
Because the services provided by Music4Life are free, we have a laser focus on fundraising. In addition to the grants we apply for and donations that we receive, our Chapters throw fundraisers like the recent Dine-In Night at Shawn O’Donnell’s in Everett and Music4Life is often a beneficiary of fundraising events such as the Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest held every August in Des Moines and hosted by the Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park.
Music4Life operates through local community Chapters that support individual school districts. Any funds raised by a Chapter are used specifically to benefit students within that Chapter’s participating district, allowing communities to directly support music education opportunities for their local students. Careful financial stewardship and bookkeeping practices ensure accountability and transparency in the use of donated funds.
Instruments provided to school districts by Music4Life remain the property of the participating school district and are issued to students on a long-term loan basis at no cost to the family. Students may continue using the instrument as long as they remain enrolled in the district’s music program. When the instrument is returned, it can then be placed into the hands of another student in need.
Because many instruments remain usable for years — often decades — a single donated instrument may provide educational opportunities and the lifelong benefits of music participation to numerous students over time.
Music4Life may be available to work with any public school district to implement a local school district-based Music4Life program. For more information, contact Music4Life by mail at PO Box 1014 Mukilteo, WA 98275, via email at Info@Music4Life.org or phone at 206.999.2388.
Why Music4Life?
To youth, music opens up the world — its history and its many cultures — and provides opportunities for teamwork and meaningful forms of self-expression. Educators know that music benefits students academically, especially in mathematics, science, history and world languages.
Research consistently shows that students who participate in school-based instrumental music programs develop discipline, confidence, creativity and self-motivation, helping students succeed both in and out of the classroom.
More Benefits of Music Education
Powerful Learning through the Arts (Seattle Arts Education Consortium/ArtCorps – A local documentary about the connection between arts education and success in school.
Benefits of Arts Education (League of American Orchestras) – The benefits of music education: Success in society; success in school and learning; success in developing intelligence; and success in life.
The Cognitive Benefits of Music Education (Save the Music Foundation) – Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning.
Our History
David Endicott founded Music4Life™ in 2007 as a program to help kids in Seattle Public Schools with a single District. Since then we’ve expanded to help students attending schools not only in King County, but Kitsap and Snohomish Counties as well — Districts that comprise more than 239,000 students in western Washington state.
Music saved David’s life when he was an at-risk young man in Wisconsin. Emery Nordness (affectionately known as “Nordy”), who was the Band Director of Viroqua High School for 31 years, took David in and gave his life purpose through the calling of a music education. David never forgot that gift and dedicated Music4Life in Nordy’s honor, passing that gift along to new generations of children in need.
Below is the history of the organization, directly from the original founder, David Endicott.
How Music4Life Began
Written by David Endicott, Co-Founder and Chairman/CEO (2007-2025)
So Music4Life began as a demonstration project to help kids in Seattle Public Schools. Since then, additional programs have been started (in chronological order) at the request of the superintendents in the public school districts of Highline, Shoreline, Edmonds, Everett, Northshore, Bremerton, Auburn, Kent, Marysville, Riverview, Lake Washington, Issaquah, Sultan and Monroe. Numerous other requests to set-up local Music4Life Chapters are being considered.
As a Rotarian I thought Rotary would be a good foundation from which to build. A year or so later, a couple of Rotary Distinct governors (each Rotary District is comprised of about 3,000 Rotarians) told me that we should remove the word “Rotary” from our name because it suggested an endorsement (by Rotary International) that we didn’t have. They said the lawyers at R.I. back at corporate headquarters jealously guard the integrity of the word “Rotary.” The governors also said that, while we were at it, we also should set-up a separate 501(c)3 organization for liability and other legal purposes. Thus, Rotary Music4Life became just Music4Life and we set up the separate non-profit organization that donated and repaired musical instruments for use by students in need.
Music4Life is not just a double entendre, but a triple. First, we provide school-age kids with something meaningful to do with their time. Second, we help open the wonderful world of music to them for the rest of their lives. And third, we founded it with the blessing of 2007-08 Seattle Rotary (also known as “Seattle Number 4” because it was the fourth Rotary club chartered in the history of Rotary International) President John Iverson, also a former President of the Seattle Opera Guild. At that time, I was a member of Seattle #4. In the last several years, Music4Life has enlisted the help of Kiwanis, Lions, Soroptimists and other community service organizations.
Dick Lee was a star basketballer for the Washington Huskies and now pursuing his athletic interests. Through the good graces of supporters like the internationally prominent law firm of Foster Garvey (formerly Garvey Schubert Barer), that provides all Music4Life legal work on a pro bono basis, and many other enthusiasts, our work goes on.
FAQ
Yes. Music4Life™ is a registered 501(c)3. Our federal EIN is 26-4733898 and was granted on April 23, 2009. A copy of our letter from the IRS is available to download here
Music4Life™ started in 2007 as a demonstration project to help kids in the Seattle Public School District. Since then, additional programs have been started at the request of the Superintendents in many school districts, including Auburn, Highline, Issaquah, Kent, Lake Washington, Riverview, Shoreline, Edmonds, Everett, Marysville, Northshore, Sultan/Index and Bremerton.
Trumpets, clarinets, flutes and violins are needed most. But we can use all musical instruments right now, including trombones, guitars, cellos, saxophones, baritones and others. The need out there is so great that we rarely turn down any musical instrument.
Not all students want to participate in instrumental music programs, of course. Music4Life is for those who do. Music4Life provides donated and repaired musical instruments at no charge to participating public school districts, and asks the Superintendent to identify a primary contact (usually an instrumental music teacher) with whom we can coordinate district needs with available resources. We encourage that the instruments be provided to students in need.
Music4Life encourages participating school districts to let the students use their musical instruments for any musical activity, public or private, inside or outside of school, because every musical experience is a learning experience. The ONLY qualifier is that the student must be enrolled in the school district. If the student leaves for any reason (graduation; the parents move outside the school district; etc), the instrument must be returned to the school district so another student can benefit from its use.
The consolidated Music4Life organization is run by a Board of Directors that has legal responsibility for the organization. The Board of Directors appoints a President who runs the day-to-day operations. Each of the school district-based programs (i.e., Highline Music4Life) is run by a Chapter comprised of community leaders who understand the unique value of instrumental music in the life and education of a child. A special group of local community leaders comprises the Music4Life Advisory Board. Each member is selected based on his/her special knowledge and advises the President on an on-call basis.
Music4Life is dedicated first to ensuring that each of its existing school district partnerships become exceptionally successful and sustainable for the students and communities they serve. At the same time, Music4Life continues to receive requests from additional school districts interested in establishing new programs. Each potential partnership is carefully evaluated based on several important factors, including the demonstrated local need for instruments and support services, the percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced-price meal programs, the likelihood of long-term community involvement, and the ability to build a strong local chapter to energize and sustain the effort.Equally important is the willingness of local service organizations — including Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, and other community groups — to endorse and financially support the program. Through this collaborative approach, Music4Life works to ensure that every new district partnership has the foundation necessary to provide lasting opportunities for students to participate fully in school music programs.
Resources that are raised within a participating public school district are used for the benefit of students within that school district. About one-third of the time, donors put no restrictions on the use of resources, so we use them where they’re most needed and according to donor wishes.
Musical instruments that are donated to or purchased by Music4Life are provided at no charge to participating public school districts.
Good quality beginner instruments (often referred to as “student-level”) usually range from $300 to $3,000. Large or unusual instruments may cost even more.
No, this is the responsibility of each participating school district. Most school districts now recognize that instrumental music instruction is a core component of any child’s basic education.
In every possible case, Music4Life has repaired the donated instruments, but some are simply beyond repair. That’s okay, we like to try. After the initial repair, the school district maintains the instrument. But we never want to see a student trying to play a broken instrument. We can try to make arrangements to provide another instrument to him/her while the instrument is being repaired. Just contact your school district’s music coordinator.
Yes. Most students start instrumental music programs in the fourth, fifth or sixth grades. By expanding instrumental music programs at the elementary grade level, we also help secondary music programs to grow. Some musical instruments we get are so sophisticated that they should only be provided to older, more musically accomplished students who can appreciate and care for them.
The basics for a student who wants to participate in the school district’s instrumental music activities are a working musical instrument, plus either a mouthpiece or bow and a case in which to carry them. Beyond that, Music4Life does supply other equipment when it is donated to us, such as amplifiers, strings for violins and other stringed instruments, even reeds for woodwinds or cleaning equipment. The key here is that, in most cases, we can only supply that which is given to us by adults who want to pass on the gift of instrumental music to the next generation.
Choral music is important, too, and we do support it. For instance, we have provided pianos and electronic keyboards to the choral music departments of participating public school districts. But most students arrive at school already equipped with the instrument required to sing.
Like choral music, world music is also important. Music defines generations and cultures, and is an important part of our heritage and our diverse communities. A number of schools here have hip hop, jazz, mariachi, marimba, steel drum bands, electronic music and other instrumental ensembles. We like to see these thrive, based on student interests, and support them as best we can.
Yes! Music4Life tracks all donations of musical instruments and the financial donations to repair them and provides a Non-Profit Status letter that can be used for tax purposes. We do not get into the business of evaluating the worth of any instrument — that is between the donor and the IRS. Donors are advised to consult with their personal financial advisors regarding individual tax benefits.
To help ensure accurate recordkeeping, it is critically important that a donor fill-out the donor form that is available on the Music4Life website and attach it to the donated instrument. This form allows us to track the instrument through the repair process and ensure that it is placed into the correct hands once it has been repaired.
The greater Seattle area is fortunate to have many fine music stores and instrument makers. Music4Life is proud to recommend Kennelly Keys Music, Ted Brown Music, Hammond Ashley Violins and the other vendors that work with us for any and all musical instrument needs. For a full list of our Preferred Vendors, please click here.
