MSP hopes youngsters can play it again

Jan 9 2009 by Lex Brown, Irvine Herald

UNWANTED guitars and drum kits could be given a new lease of life if a scheme by an MSP gets off the ground.

South of Scotland MSP Aileen Campbell is behind the Play It Again scheme which would see the instruments going to deprived youngsters.

It is being backed by Scots rock stars as well as a host of charities.

The MSP said there must be hundreds of thousands of musical instruments lying in people’s homes.

She went on: “I am asking people to go and have a look under their beds, in their cupboards and lofts and donate those unwanted instruments.

“If you’ve been given a new guitar or drum kit from Christmas what better way to make space for them than by giving us your old one?

“These donations will give someone else the opportunity to experience the pleasure and benefits learning to play an instrument can bring and I know that given the generosity of the Scottish public, we won’t be disappointed.”

Bob Hardy, from Franz Ferdinand, said: “This is a great idea and as soon as I heard about it, I knew I’d like to donate one of my old bass guitars.”

The campaign to be launched later this year is based on a successful initiative in London.

The Scottish plan has attracted the support of the Scottish Arts Council, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Aberlour – Scotland’s Children’s Charity.

Addie Stevenson, chief executive of Aberlour, said: “We know how positive something as simple as music can be to a child’s self-esteem.”