Graphic by Evelyn Stanley ’24/The Choate News
Playing an instrument is a privilege — many students never have the chance to learn music because they cannot afford to purchase an instrument. Founded by Christian Boudreau ’21 in 2018, Christian’s Music for Minors is an organization that aims to rectify inequity for aspiring music students. The program collects and refurbishes instruments that are no longer used and gives them to young musicians who otherwise would not have access to one.
Gavin Boudreau ’24, who plays clarinet in Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Chamber Ensemble, joined his brother in Christian’s Music for Minors to work on web design as well as evaluate instruments and condition enhancement needs. C. Boudreau, who also plays clarinet, alto sax, and flute, participated in Symphony Orchestra while at Choate and is currently a freshman at Occidental College, where he studies psychology, neuroscience, and music performance.
For the brothers with strong musical backgrounds, the mission of Christian’s Music for Minors is personal. While discussing the inequities in music instruction Christian’s Music for Minors is working to eliminate, G. Boudreau said, “There’s so many people everywhere who love music but don’t have the means to be able to pursue it… It requires an instructor, it requires some time reeds, sometimes valve oil, sometimes cork grease, just so many different things and all that can add up.”
Christian’s Music for Minors has collected at least 50 instruments thus far, valued at $12,000, which have been refurbished and distributed to students over the years. G. Boudreau explained that each instrument costs $300 to refurbish, and more funding is always needed.
However, the organization has received a few substantial donations. This was accomplished primarily through advertisements and outreach to potential benefactors. “It’s really about making this as big as we can make it and spreading as much information that we can to let other people know what we’re trying to do, what our goal is, and why it’s important,” said G. Boudreau.
Since the organization first started, they have received a donation from Kids for Kids, Dancing for Life, Inc., a group that provides monetary assistance to youth-led projects dedicated to helping other children in their community. Although they are currently focused on the Connecticut region and surrounding areas, the organization hopes to reach an even greater number of kids across more states in the future by expanding the local organization regionally, nationally, and even finally, globally.
G. Boudreau has enjoyed being able to participate directly in the distribution of instruments. He commented, “We’ve [visited] a class where multiple [students] did not have instruments that they wanted or that could work correctly.” G. Boudreau stayed to watch their class after handing out the instruments, which was memorable for him.
Ultimately, the Boudreaus’ endeavor has taken an abundance of courage and perseverance. Gathering donations has not been easy, nor has spreading the word of their organization. However, the joyful responses from beneficiaries has made the work worth it. G. Boudreau expressed his appreciation for support from peers in the music community. He said, “There’s this connection and diversity within the music community — we’re our own little world and people are always looking to be there for one another.”
