Citizens surprises Steel Valley students with donation of 30-plus instruments to music program

As the members of the Steel Valley Middle School and High School concert bands prepared for their winter concert in the final weeks of November and early part of December, they had no idea that more than 30 brand new instruments were stashed just a few feet away from them on the stage inside the Steel Valley High School auditorium.

On Monday, December 16, representatives from Citizens unveiled the surprise to students in the music program, presenting them with the instruments during a special kickoff event that launched the organization’s Sounds of Giving initiative. Citizens is donating $100,000 worth of musical instruments to schools and nonprofit organizations across the Pittsburgh region to support the next generation of Pittsburgh’s creative arts scene. Steel Valley was their first stop.

“Citizens is dedicated to creating opportunities that inspire and uplift the next generation,” said Mark Rendulic, President of Citizens Pittsburgh. “Music has the power to unite, build confidence, and transform lives. Through Sounds of Giving, we hope to unlock creativity, teamwork, and self-expression for students who might not otherwise have access to these transformative experiences.”

“It is extremely exciting to be able to bring in new instruments for the students,” secondary campus music teacher and band director Ms. Malia Mueller said. “I think this will be really encouraging for them and get them to keep playing, and also for them to recognize that the community also wants to help them strive to be better.”

Citizens reached out to Ms. Mueller in October to inquire about her interest in being part of the Sounds of Giving initiative, which is designed to fulfill the wishlists of local music programs to help students explore and develop their musical talents. She submitted information about the number of students in the music program, shared which instruments would be best suited for replacement or purchase, asking about her interest in being included in the company’s Sounds of Giving initiative. Citizens informed her in mid-November that Steel Valley had been selected along with 11 other schools and nonprofit programs in the region.

“I’m just so grateful to Citizens for reaching out to us and seeing that we’d be a great recipient for the instruments,” Ms. Mueller said. “The students deserve it. The arts can help, whether it’s band, chorus, art class, or anything. Some of those classes really help our students and provide a relief. Being able to add to that is just exciting.”

Mr. Rob Kovalan, the Regional Retail Manager for Citizens in Pittsburgh, and a team of volunteers from Citizens arrived at Steel Valley High School to present the instruments to the students on Monday. The donation includes five alto saxophones, six trombones, six trumpets, six clarinets, five flutes, a euphonium, a tenor saxophone, a tuba, a double horn, a marching baritone, and a bass drum.

Ms. Mueller said while some students have been able to acquire their own instruments, it’s often not feasible for many families to do so. Even renting instruments can be expensive. Steel Valley provides instruments to students who don’t have one, but the age and condition of the instruments means they’re often undergoing repairs or performing poorly.

“It’s not fun,” senior tuba and French horn player Justyn Barefoot said. “If it doesn’t sound how you want it, then you can think that it’s just not that good and not that fun.”

“It’s really frustrating to be learning how to play an instrument and to have the instrument restrict you and your playing ability,” Ms. Mueller added. “You’re not only learning how to play the instrument, but also trying to overcome the mechanical issues of the instrument not working properly.”

Springs break, pads lose their seals, valves malfunction, and even general wear and tear can impact an instrument’s performance.

“All of these repairs are extremely expensive,” Ms. Mueller said, “and then it becomes a struggle of not being able to provide the instrument, because an instrument can be out for weeks at a time.”

As the middle school and high school students unboxed the new instruments, they eagerly began testing out their sound. Six of them were selected to play a handful of holiday tunes as part of the celebration. One of them was freshman flute player Alexandria Wehrer, who said that she was hopeful that the donation could lead to some former band members returning or prompt curious newcomers to join.

“I know a lot of them were kind of falling out of love and want to be in the band, so I really think it’s going to kind of bring back that spark to the program,” Wehrer said.

The growth of the concert band and marching band has been a focal point for Ms. Mueller. She’s hopeful the generosity from Citizens will continue to foster that expansion and light the spark that Wehrer believes is possible.

“Our numbers are going up, which is exciting. This contribution means a lot,” she said. “It’s exciting. And I think our students will be super excited that they have a new instrument to play on. It’ll kind of spark that interest and get them to continue to stay in the program.”

For the students and the music program, the donation struck all the right notes this holiday season.

“It feels like an early Christmas,” Barefoot said.