The Lester Reed Music Project

The Lester Reed Music Project A 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to break the financial barriers to a music education by providing children with musical instruments.

Here is how it works:1. A family fills out our request form and tells us what instrument their child wants to play. 2. W...
10/08/2026

Here is how it works:

1. A family fills out our request form and tells us what instrument their child wants to play.
2. We match them with an instrument we already have, or we buy one if we don't have it.
3. We deliver the instrument to the student.
4. The family never pays a dime.

If you know a student who's been quietly counting themselves out of orchestra or band, please send them our way.

Request form: https://forms.gle/mHLMgwNKCGd1LFD5A

Happy World Teachers' Day.This is February 28, 1979. The Norman High School Orchestra played a noon concert in the fourt...
10/05/2026

Happy World Teachers' Day.

This is February 28, 1979. The Norman High School Orchestra played a noon concert in the fourth floor rotunda at the state capitol. That's John Clinton, the former orchestra director for Norman Public Schools, on the left. Bass players Scott Million and David Lanning are in the middle, and former State Rep. Cleta Deatherage is on the right.

My grandfather had been superintendent until three years before this was taken, and getting an orchestra program started was one of the things he was proudest of. A program is only an idea until a teacher shows up and does the work. John Clinton is the reason these kids were playing in the capitol that day.

That's how it works. We can put an instrument in a child's hands, but it takes a teacher to show them how to make the music. Thank you to all the teachers who invest their time into our children's futures.

Did you know? A student bass is still one of the most expensive instruments a student can play?

Photo by Jim Beckel, Oklahoma Journal Photography Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society, via The Gateway to Oklahoma History.

Today would have been my grandpa's 100th birthday. Lester Martin Reed was born in Edmond on October 4, 1926.He always ha...
10/04/2026

Today would have been my grandpa's 100th birthday. Lester Martin Reed was born in Edmond on October 4, 1926.

He always had a book in his hand and never stopped wanting to learn. He was open-minded and actually wanted to hear other people's opinions, even when they didn't match his. He loved his big family, and that included JoAn's kids and grandkids too. They were married 34 years and spent a lot of that time at ball games, traveling, and enjoying music together.

He was superintendent of Norman Public Schools for twelve years and helped start the orchestra program, which is still going strong. Some of the kids in it today are playing instruments from our project.

This project exists because of him. He believed every kid should get the chance to learn, no matter what their family could afford. I think he'd be just as happy about the people it's brought together: board members, teachers, parents, old family friends, and plenty of folks who never got to meet him.

That's Grandpa and JoAn in the picture. Happy 100th, Grandpa. We miss you.

Since 2022, 49 kids in Norman have gotten an instrument through this program.The idea is simple. A kid who wants to play...
10/02/2026

Since 2022, 49 kids in Norman have gotten an instrument through this program.

The idea is simple. A kid who wants to play shouldn't be stopped by what an instrument costs. In the last four years there have been 49 families to whom we didn't have to say “No”.

Borrowing an instrument from us costs nothing. No rental, no deposit.

If you know a student who wants to join band or orchestra, send them our way. Most of our families hear about us from someone they know.

One of our moms sent this to us about her daughter Ella:"A favorite proud moment from this year was when Ella was practi...
09/29/2026

One of our moms sent this to us about her daughter Ella:

"A favorite proud moment from this year was when Ella was practicing some notes that were a struggle for her to get. While she was practicing, on her fourth try she got it and we both started jumping up and down like she just scored a touchdown at the last second of the game! We both were so happy that she pushed through and played the notes beautifully!"

— Crissy, Ella's mom

We love this one. It wasn't a concert or an award that stuck with them, it was a Tuesday at home when something finally clicked.

There's a national study of high school music students by Kenneth Elpus and Carlos Abril that found pretty much what you...
09/27/2026

There's a national study of high school music students by Kenneth Elpus and Carlos Abril that found pretty much what you'd expect. The kids least likely to be in a school music program are the ones from the lowest-income families, and the kids most likely to be in one come from the highest-income families.

We can see it too. When a parent reaches out to us, they hardly ever start by telling us their child is curious about music. They start by telling us they can't afford the rental.

There's a lot about that we can't fix. The instrument is the one part we can take care of, and we're so happy we are able to!

How much does it cost to purchase an instrument?A beginner violin runs somewhere between $150 and $500. A trumpet is $20...
09/24/2026

How much does it cost to purchase an instrument?

A beginner violin runs somewhere between $150 and $500.
A trumpet is $200 to $600.
A clarinet is $100 to $400.

For a lot of families that's where the conversation ends. A kid comes home excited about orchestra, a parent looks up what it costs, and nobody brings it up again.

Families who come to us don't pay any of it. They just tell us what their child wants to play and we go find it.

Every child who wants to play should get to play. That's really all this is.The Lester Reed Music Project gives children...
09/20/2026

Every child who wants to play should get to play. That's really all this is.

The Lester Reed Music Project gives children musical instruments at no cost to their families. There's no rental fee and no purchase price, because the cost of an instrument is the thing that stops a lot of kids before they ever start.

Right now we have 19 students at 8 Norman schools playing instruments that came from us. Over the next several weeks we want to show you how that actually works, where the project came from, and what a few of the families have told us about it.

Donate: https://donate.stripe.com/7sY8wP6upewX1SzcQDejK06

09/12/2026

A little before and after!💙

We spent the day moving all of our instruments into our new storage space, building shelves, and getting everything organized. It’s so nice to have a home for all of these instruments while they wait for their next student. 🎶

Do you want to help more kids discover themselves through music? We’re always accepting instrument donations, and monetary donations help us purchase and repair instruments for students who need them.

Donate here: https://donate.stripe.com/7sY8wP6upewX1SzcQDejK06
Have an instrument to donate? Send us a message!

Thank you, Oklahoma Music Co., for the instrument donations and help refurbishing and repairing instruments, and to switzerslockerroom for the wonderful storage space.

Address

Norman, OK

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Lester Reed Music Project posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category