HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES: ENFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY TO BEGIN LENDING OUT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS!
Jason Neely, director of the Enfield Public Library, and his son, Cormac, 8, strum ukuleles at the library ahead of the kickoff of a new lending program where the library will be loaning out musical instruments to patrons. Cormac was the inspiration for Neely’s implementation of the program. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
ENFIELD — When Cormac Neely was 7 years old he saw a video of a Hawaiian musician playing a medley of the songs “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” on the ukulele, thus prompting the then first-grader to learn how to play the same instrument.So, Cormac, now 8, saved up his allowance and bought a ukulele of his very own for around $70.
It was that experience that inspired Jason Neely, Cormac’s father who is director of the Enfield Public Library, to start a program where patrons of the library would be able to check out a musical instrument for three weeks using their library card.
“I thought it was really cool that Cormac saw this thing he was really passionate about and really wanted to do and worked hard to save his money to do it,” Neely said. “I kind of realized not everyone has the ability to do that, and buying a musical instrument is a little bit of an investment.”
On Wednesday, June 26, the Enfield Public Library will launch its Musical Instrument Lending Library with a ukulele program with musician Julie Stepanek at 6:30 p.m. She will be bringing 20 ukuleles for patrons to use as she demonstrates the fundamentals of the musical instrument, and the library will provide additional ukuleles that patrons can borrow before the lending program goes live the following day.
Neely said the lending program is a “great, no-risk” way to try a musical instrument.
“It can be a difficult and expensive decision to buy an instrument. You aren’t sure if you’ll enjoy playing it or if it will wind up sitting in a corner,” he said. “We’re thrilled that we can give people the opportunity to take one home and see if it’s right for them.”
Despite being somewhat unconventional — Neely said only a few libraries circulate instruments but on a much larger scale — Neely believes this program aligns with the library’s mission of literacy.
“Traditionally, I think we’ve thought of it as more book-type literacy but musical literacy is a real thing, and why can’t the library be part of that?” he said.
Along with the instrument, learning resources including books and ArtistWorks, an online instrument-learning database, will be available. Borrowers also will get a coupon for a free introductory lesson at Matty’s Music, a music store in the Thompsonville section of town. Initial funding for the program, which was around $1,200, was provided by the Enfield Culture and Arts Commission and donations that were made in memory of resident Charles Alaimo, who died at age 88 in August 2017.
Along with local residents and library staff donating instruments for this project, the library worked with Matty’s Music to purchase the instruments.
Matt Sylvester, owner of Matty’s Music, helped select the instruments and has repaired some donated instruments to get them ready for the program.
The initial collection of instruments includes 10 ukuleles, five acoustic guitars, two electric guitars, an electric bass, a mandolin, a keyboard, a set of bongos, a West African drum called a djembe, and an Irish drum called a bodhran.
Neely said the library chose to purchase stringed instruments, like ukuleles and electric and acoustic guitars, and percussion instruments, such as drums and a portable keyboard, over brass instruments, like trumpets and trombones, and woodwind instruments, such as flutes, clarinets, and saxophones, to avoid having to sanitize the instrument after each rental.
Neely said he’s been looking forward to the start of the program, stating it’s been really “cool” to see the staff and residents getting as excited as he is about the endeavor.
ENFIELD — When Cormac Neely was 7 years old he saw a video of a Hawaiian musician playing a medley of the songs “Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” on the ukulele, thus prompting the then first-grader to learn how to play the same instrument.So, Cormac, now 8, saved up his allowance and bought a ukulele of his very own for around $70.
It was that experience that inspired Jason Neely, Cormac’s father who is director of the Enfield Public Library, to start a program where patrons of the library would be able to check out a musical instrument for three weeks using their library card.
“I thought it was really cool that Cormac saw this thing he was really passionate about and really wanted to do and worked hard to save his money to do it,” Neely said. “I kind of realized not everyone has the ability to do that, and buying a musical instrument is a little bit of an investment.”
On Wednesday, June 26, the Enfield Public Library will launch its Musical Instrument Lending Library with a ukulele program with musician Julie Stepanek at 6:30 p.m. She will be bringing 20 ukuleles for patrons to use as she demonstrates the fundamentals of the musical instrument, and the library will provide additional ukuleles that patrons can borrow before the lending program goes live the following day.
Neely said the lending program is a “great, no-risk” way to try a musical instrument.
“It can be a difficult and expensive decision to buy an instrument. You aren’t sure if you’ll enjoy playing it or if it will wind up sitting in a corner,” he said. “We’re thrilled that we can give people the opportunity to take one home and see if it’s right for them.”
Despite being somewhat unconventional — Neely said only a few libraries circulate instruments but on a much larger scale — Neely believes this program aligns with the library’s mission of literacy.
“Traditionally, I think we’ve thought of it as more book-type literacy but musical literacy is a real thing, and why can’t the library be part of that?” he said.
Along with the instrument, learning resources including books and ArtistWorks, an online instrument-learning database, will be available. Borrowers also will get a coupon for a free introductory lesson at Matty’s Music, a music store in the Thompsonville section of town. Initial funding for the program, which was around $1,200, was provided by the Enfield Culture and Arts Commission and donations that were made in memory of resident Charles Alaimo, who died at age 88 in August 2017.
Along with local residents and library staff donating instruments for this project, the library worked with Matty’s Music to purchase the instruments.
Matt Sylvester, owner of Matty’s Music, helped select the instruments and has repaired some donated instruments to get them ready for the program.
The initial collection of instruments includes 10 ukuleles, five acoustic guitars, two electric guitars, an electric bass, a mandolin, a keyboard, a set of bongos, a West African drum called a djembe, and an Irish drum called a bodhran.
Neely said the library chose to purchase stringed instruments, like ukuleles and electric and acoustic guitars, and percussion instruments, such as drums and a portable keyboard, over brass instruments, like trumpets and trombones, and woodwind instruments, such as flutes, clarinets, and saxophones, to avoid having to sanitize the instrument after each rental.
Neely said he’s been looking forward to the start of the program, stating it’s been really “cool” to see the staff and residents getting as excited as he is about the endeavor.