At Amati Foundation, we strive to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive through music, regardless of their background or circumstances, but especially for players who come from low income homes and communities.
We envision a world where every talented young player can access musical instruments that fit their skill l
At Amati Foundation, we strive to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive through music, regardless of their background or circumstances, but especially for players who come from low income homes and communities.
We envision a world where every talented young player can access musical instruments that fit their skill level and grow with them into professional performers and educators. Most often, this consists of helping a talented young musician move past their cheap rental or hand-me-down instrument and into a high quality violin, viola, cello, or guitar that they need to move forward.
We've created the largest musician-to-musician donation program in the world, with over 21,000 instruments put into the hands of talented young musicians. From modern instruments that meet the performance needs of today's musicians to rare multi-million dollar instruments like violins made by Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Jesu, and Nicolo Amati, the generous support of people who own instruments they no longer use, has helped us "graduate" thousands of students from secondary schools and colleges into careers.
Amati Foundation's programs have resulted in students being awarded scholarships, applying for and winning coveted orchestral seats, becoming teachers, and recording albums and soundtracks, some of which have been nominated for awards. In most every case, the player credits Amati Foundation with helping them obtain the musical instrument necessary for success. As Adam Carr wrote us, "Without your support, I would have never achieved what I have with my cello."
In 1998, our founder, Bill Townsend, was working overseas when he met a violinmaker. He began spending time with the maker, learning the craft of violinmaking and saw firsthand how a great instrument could propel a student forward. He also studied the effects of music eduation on critical thinking skills and especially the positive links
In 1998, our founder, Bill Townsend, was working overseas when he met a violinmaker. He began spending time with the maker, learning the craft of violinmaking and saw firsthand how a great instrument could propel a student forward. He also studied the effects of music eduation on critical thinking skills and especially the positive links between music and subjects like reading, comprehension, math, and computer science.
Working in technology at the time, he began asking tech CEOs and founders questions about computer programmers--a science rooted in mathematics--and whether they played music. To his surprise, 87% of computer science professionals had music training or were currently playing an instrument for enjoyment or gigs.
Mathematics and music may seem like disparate worlds, but they share a profound, symbiotic relationship that stretches back centuries. This connection isn't a coincidence. Math is woven into the very essence of the art form, from the way we organize musical scales to the physics that dictates an instrument's sound.
The proof shows music training enhances executive functions like working memory, which can, in turn, improve mathematical abilities. What we have seen, is students who have a good instrument, will see their math skills rise an average of 22% and their social skills and critical thinking abilities also increase dramatically.
It's pretty amazing how a musical instrument can impact life.
(About that picture: Amati Foundation was featured on ABC Television's hit show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where we restored multiple instruments damaged in a fire and obtained a $50,000 cello for the family's 2nd oldest daughter who is now a performer and educator.)
Since our founding in 2000, Amati Foundation has operated as a 100% volunteer organization. This enables us to bypass paid staff and expensive fundraising initiatives that leave little funding for a nonprofit's mission.
Americans gave $499.33 billion to charity in 2 years ago. More than 1.4 million public an private charities exist, with
Since our founding in 2000, Amati Foundation has operated as a 100% volunteer organization. This enables us to bypass paid staff and expensive fundraising initiatives that leave little funding for a nonprofit's mission.
Americans gave $499.33 billion to charity in 2 years ago. More than 1.4 million public an private charities exist, with the majority spending around one-third of donations on overhead and fundraising.
Over the past 24 years, Amati Foundation's overhead and fundraising costs have been less than 4%, meaning we're able to put 96% of cash donations to work for our grant recipients. In terms of instruments, we accept donations of violins, violas, celli, bows, guitars, amplifiers, and effects pedals and, if they are of high enough quality, we loan those to our grant recipients for periods of 3, 5, or 8 years. For instruments that don't find a home with a player, we sell them and use the proceeds to purchase instruments that do fit.
Amati Foundation works with musical instrument manufacturers, amplifier builders, effects pedals makers, active and retired musicians, and anyone who has an instrument to donate and connects those instruments to a young player in the 12-25 year old age range to give them the essential tools-of-the-trade they need to pursue a career in music. These activites are primarily achieved through word-of-mouth, email, and telephone, all low-cost practices that help us keep the focus on players and their instruments.
As the needs of our grant recipients have changed over the past 2 1/2 decades, we have undertaken additional programs in funding and technology to help the next generation of great performers realize their dreams.
You can help a young person's dreams of having a career in music become a reality. While any donation helps, a donation of $500 pays for a complete violin outfit of violins, case, bow, shoulder rest, and strings and rosin. A gift of $1,000 - $5,000 can put a professional grade instrument into their hands.