The Pacific Pearl has often mentioned the high level of instruction available to local music students at the Municipal Arts School. But sadly, the excellent achievements of the students and instructors there are drastically restricted by the lack of funding. The most frustrating shortfall comes in the availability of usable instruments. Promising students, with excellent teachers, are often unable to practice because they can't afford strings or reeds, or can't afford to pay to have a violin bridge repaired. This article is an appeal for music lovers to help these young musicians: help that might be as easy as just bringing down some strings that are easily available in the U.S. or Canada, but expensive and hard to get here in Mazatlan. Many of the students at the School come from very poor families. There is a sort of open conspiracy to help some who cannot pay the hundred peso tuition to slip into classes past the watchful eye of the registrar. But the school can't afford to keep up instruments. It is common to hear some girl sawing away at a violin with rusty, flaking strings. Gut strings are an unheard of luxury here. The worst situation is at cello, where the four chairs were reduced to two workable instruments (the four students sharing) and no cello practice has actually been suspended-all for the lack of strings. Strings are available here for violins and basses, since mariachis and "bandas" use them, but a set of cello strings that might cost as little as forty dollars a set in Chicago are over a hundred dollars here--but have to go to Mexico to get them, or order them from Guadalajara with a month wait for delivery. Another bad situation is double-reed instruments. The orchestra owns four bassoons, but does not teach the instrument due to the difficulty in obtaining reeds. Oboe reeds are in constant shortage and there is no Mexican maker. Another crying need is for sheet music. Although ridiculously easy to obtain cheap, or even free, in North American, music is hard to get here, and expensive. The most desirable for student use are arrangements for horn quartets or strings and piano

ensembles, but anything can be useful, even pop sheets or fake books. Anybody interesting in helping out the local music program would not find it hard or costly to obtain this kind of items. Used sheet music is all around in North America, at thrift stores and available from schools who are updating their selections. Professional string players routinely discard strings that would still provide hours of practice time for students here. Big music stores often dump reeds at deep discounts. Musicians unions often like to contribute to international charity and cities (like Seattle, for one) that have sister city programs with Mazatlan can often mount donations. And, of course, is anybody has an old trumpet in the attic, it would be helpful to this program-though there is no need for junk instruments. Mostly what is needed is small, cheap items like reeds and strings to enable the use of current instruments. As part of this appeal, the School will present to anyone who donates instruments, strings, music, or funds a CD of the Mazatlan Youth Orchestra performing. The recording will feature the best play of the very musicians that would benefit from any generosity with music supplies, including most of the young locals chosen for the National Youth Orchestra. Donations can be made at the the School (just off the Plazuela Machado, beside the Angela Peralta Theater). Any music lover coming to Mazatlan this winter can very easily bring with them a magnificent Christmas present, not just to deserving but under-privileged young musicians, but to the entire music-loving community of Mazatlan. There was never an easier, or more needed, way to become a patron of the arts. For more details on this appeal, check the web at: freemaz.com/donations