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Spotlight on ICA Instrument Donation Program Recipients

by Jessica Harrie

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICA introduced an instrument donation program. To date, we have received a total of 35 instruments ranging from student models to professional-level instruments. These clarinets were in varied condition and the ICA has partnered with repair technicians across the United States to bring the instruments back to playable condition. These clarinets are being repaired by Lisa’s Clarinet Shop, Mike Lomax of Lomax Classic, Sean
Wahl from Buffet Crampon, and Glen Sargent from Second Wind Music.

In the June 2022 issue of The Clarinet we featured our first story about this program, and now we are pleased to introduce two new recipients.

Lynn Pettipaw generously donated a total of three professional Buffet Crampon clarinets, and one of these instruments, an R13 Bb clarinet, was given to Denison High School (Denison, Texas) junior Michael Golston.

Denison High School band director Melissa Lewis heard about our Instrument Donation Program and reached out to us on behalf
of Michael. Michael has been a section leader in the Denison Touch of Gold Band for two years and has plans to major in music education in college. He wrote about the significance of this donation in a letter to the ICA:

“Being able to obtain this donation would be life changing for me. Ever since I started playing clarinet, I have never owned a personal clarinet. In recent years, my family has not been able to gather the funds to purchase a quality clarinet able to get me through high school and college. Since the beginning, I have been borrowing clarinets through my school’s band program, and while I am extremely grateful, my high school years are rapidly approaching their end, and my passion for the clarinet continues to burn as bright as ever. Being able to have this clarinet will allow me to continue chasing my dreams as a musician and continue to meet inspiring models and inspire my peers along the way.”

The ICA has received many Bb clarinet donations, but we were thrilled to receive a Buffet Crampon R13 A clarinet donation from Lynn Pettipaw. This instrument was repaired by Mike Lomax of Lomax Classic. Lomax Classic also provided a HumidiPro double case for the instrument. This instrument was given to 27-year-old doctoral performance student Emily Rose, who is also the chair of the ICA’s Membership and Development Committee. Emily is in the second year of her DMA at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and explains just how much this donation means to her at this point in her career:

I was extremely fortunate this summer as I received a very beautiful Buffet Crampon A clarinet to use over the course of my doctoral studies. I will be forever grateful for the ease of mind this program has given me, in addition to the newfound opportunities; I can now perform literature I’ve never been able to explore for the A clarinet, as well as gain a sense of comfortability in orchestral playing at my university… Thank you to all who donate to this wonderful program—I think I speak for many when I say we are very grateful for your contributions!!”

We are immensely grateful for the support for this program and hope that we can continue to help provide instruments for students in need. If you would like to donate a clarinet, sheet music, or clarinet accessories as part of the ICA Instrument Donation Program, or if you know a student that would benefit from this program, please contact ICA Executive Director Jessica Harrie at [email protected].

The ICA is proud to support local Columbus, Ohio students through the support from a 2023-2024 ArtSTART grant Ohio Arts Council. The funds from this grant will be used to repair donated instruments and get them into the hands of Columbus area students.