Anthony Middle School Needs Your Instruments

Minneapolis may be unique in offering students the use of district-owned instruments, but in one Southwest school, that generosity is causing a bit of a problem.

Anthony Middle School, which has , has also seen its band program grow by leaps and bounds. To cope with the shortage, the program's director, Brian Vander Heul, is using online instructional videos to give students the personal attention he can't through his overbooked teaching schedule.

The instrument shortage has gotten so bad, Vander Heul said, that his beginning students haven't recieved instruments from the district because other band students are already using every available instrument.

Vander Heul is soliciting donations of used instruments—particularly trumpets—and money that could go to buy used instruments for the band program, along with supplies. Reeds for saxophones and clarinets are a major expense for the program: They cost about $1.50 each and only last for around two weeks of hard playing. Vander Heul's students ran through around $3,000 worth of reeds last school year, he said.

Anyone interested in donating instruments can leave them at the school office, and checks should be sent to Anthony Middle School with "Band Program" written in the memo line.