With school holidays finishing up this weekend it is reassuring that for at least one young lad in the foothills of Melbourne’s Dandenongs, getting back to school is a good thing!

An unusual young boy you’re probably thinking -and you would be correct. However earlier this year his local primary school took up the opportunity to get a free Pianos Recycled’s piano as part of our "PREPS" program. Our Programme for Recycled Educational Pianos in Schools started before COVID and, as followers of our social media pages will already know, supplies certified pianos to schools, community groups, migrant organisations and the like for effectively, the cost of delivery.
Since we first delivered a piano to Dandenong West Primary, Pianos Recycled has now supplied almost 100 schools and organisations with ‘street pianos’. Some are sited indoors, but all have the underlying theme of making music accessible. These pianos are selected from the dozens of pianos collected by us which meet essential criteria; that is, structurally sound, no underlying issues or problems and importantly, Tuned to the standard pitch of A440. This last pivotal criteria is what separates a Pianos Recycled PREPS piano from the ones offered to institutions by well-meaning donors- the acceptance of which often means said organization is saddled with an untuneable or seriously limited instrument. We have seen this exact scenario many, many times before.
From our standpoint, the PREPS program gives us an opportunity to give decent instruments an ongoing working life which, depending upon the environment the piano is placed in, might last anywhere from three or four years to decades. The feedback from schools has been universally positive and thus I bring you back to our young man in the Dandenongs.

Earlier this year his primary school took delivery of their PREPS piano. It was placed in a corridor situation where it was safe from the elements but accessible to all who walked by. Just a few months ago we received an email from an excited Principal who told us that one of her students had started to teach himself the piano from YouTube videos (a resource that several offerings available) and that after a short time the student is now playing five songs. The school is playing its part in not only having made the decision to bring in the piano, but inviting the student to perform at its end of year concert, for which the boy is now rehearsing diligently. It is a GREAT story like this that brings our team here at Pianos Recycled similar excitement and real joy. There are more stories to tell as well, but this is happening right now, and wouldn’t have without the positive action of the Principal and her school.
For Schools and community groups wishing to avail themselves of a FREE piano then reach out to us through our contact page. Nearly one hundred other institutions have done so and we would be happy to re-home a good piano with You.
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