Member Highlight: Bringing Music to Life (BMTL)

Students at East Middle School post with their musical instruments in a music classroom

By Steven Blatt, Executive Director, Bringing Music to Life

Tell us about you: provide a short bio or organization statement.

Bringing Music to Life (BMTL) was founded in 2014 to provide the life-changing experience of making music to low-income students in schools throughout Colorado. These are students who have the desire to learn but not the means to rent or buy an instrument. As of this year, BMTL has positively impacted more than 22,000 children in Colorado by providing thousands of band and orchestra instruments to students in hundreds of elementary, middle and high schools throughout the state.

Share a story of how your organization engages with the business sector.

A collection of instruments to be awarded to students, as seen from a bird's eye view in a music classroom.

Bringing Music to Life has many business partners: 16 music stores that serve as donation locations throughout Colorado during the annual instrument drive, as well as several businesses that repair the hundreds of donated instruments. In addition, KUSA (9 News), Colorado Public Radio, KUVO, KUNC, Rocky Mountain PBS and the Gomez Howard Group help to make people aware of the annual instrument drives.

How has this engagement with business benefitted you and your organization?

Bringing Music to Life simply could not do what we do without the generous help of our business partners. They generate awareness of our program, serve as donation locations, and then refurbish and repair the donated instruments so they are in excellent playable condition before they are awarded to students in schools throughout the state.

How is your organization supporting the creative economy?

We drive hundreds of people each year to the music stores that serve as donation locations, and provide tens of thousands of dollars to our repair partners.

Why are you involved with CBCA?

CBCA is made up of organizations that face many of the same challenges as BMTL does. It is likely that we can learn from and help each other succeed. In addition, CBCA includes individuals who might be interested in becoming BMTL board members. (Note: Applications for CBCA’s 2025-2026 Leadership Arts program are now open!)

If you would like more information about becoming a CBCA member, visit the CBCA Membership page or contact our Membership & Development Manager, Sarah Braverman at sbraverman@cbca.org.