I would like to draw the subscribers' attention to an organization called Youth Empowerment Center for Creative Achievement (YECCA), which provides free music instruction and instruments to kids in South Central Los Angeles. These kids live in one of the most notoriously gang-infested areas in the US, but have shown a great interest in learning music. The trouble is, they cannot afford instruments or lessons, and there is no music education in their schools. Margaret Martin of YECCA contacted us, and she informed us of this group's commendable efforts to bring music to these kids. She told me that they need of instruments of any kind, but especially smaller (children-sized) stringed instruments to be donated for the children's use. The value of these instruments would be tax-deductable for the donor, of course. They also need musicians in the Los Angeles area who may be willing to volunteer their services to instruct. Margaret Martin can be reached at (323)466-6641. Please mention this post. Many on this list have lamented the deplorable state of music education in in our schools. Here's a chance to do something about it. Jocelyn Wang Culver Chamber Music Series~ http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/4684/