Louisville music shop taking instrument donations for musicians, students impacted by tornadoes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tornado relief efforts have focused on ensuring people's basic needs are met. Now, a new effort is working to change the tone for people who lost everything.

Mom's Music in Louisville is a place many musicians feel at home. And it's now also a home for donations.

"We're a drop off point for ... gently used instruments that need some care and need to find a good place and a new home for them, for the folks that went through the tragedy" said Jeff McNicol, owner of Mom's Music on Mellwood Avenue.

The drive is organized by WoodSongs, a volunteer-run music network which aims to use donated instruments to replace the ones lost in the storm, whether to reunite a musician with their tool of choice or to help school music programs get back on track.

It's a mission McNicol is proud to take part in.

"Normally, you're thinking food and clothing and other things. But they need everything right now," McNicol said. "So I'm just glad that they would think of that to get us to be a part of it."

The vast need is a hard thing to visualize.

"It's devastating," said Marvin Maxwell, founder of Mom's Music. "It's not anything that you can imagine anyway, because I couldn't imagine losing everything I own."

Maxwell and McNicol believe wholeheartedly that music can bring harmony to western Kentuckians in this time of discord.

"It makes people happier," Maxwell said. "Let's face it: I really does."

"I think music brings joy to our heart," McNicol said. "(It) takes us away from places mentally that we may be struggling."

Even if an instrument is out of tune or worn down, volunteers will help repair and restore donations. And the drive is just getting started, but McNicol is confident the tempo will pick up.

"I think we're gonna put some smiles on people's faces, and we're happy to be a part of it," McNicol said.

A deadline for the donations hasn't been set yet, but Mom's Music is hoping to see more drop-offs in the next week or two. Mom's partner store, Maxwell's House of Music in Jeffersonville, is also a drop-off site.

A full list of drop-off sites, and how people near and far can donate, can be found here.