The importance of music cannot be overstated for some. While music can bring people together and teach beauty, instruments and lessons can be expensive and serve as a possible barrier to entry.
For Kristen Harris, a violin instructor at the Suzuki Academy of Columbia, access to widespread music is very important.
“I know not everyone loves classical music in particular, but I feel like if we don’t offer the education for it, people don’t understand that it will just die,” Harris said. “I think that would be a terrible thing. I think learning to craft beautiful music creates really thoughtful humans and compassionate humans.”
The mission of SoundBites, a nonprofit based in South Carolina, is to provide high-quality instruments to those who cannot afford them and widen opportunities for music education.
The inspiration for the organization came from the importance of creating access to instruments, according to Hobart Trotter, the board chairman of SoundBites.
“I’m a frustrated musician and have been since I was a kid," Trotter said. "I really felt like it was important for kids that wanted to play but couldn’t afford an instrument to have access, so we did it just on that premise. And I also wanted to make sure that anything we promoted in South Carolina was South Carolina-based.”
Justin Sims, the general manager of Sims Music in Columbia and one of the board members of SoundBites, said the original goal of the nonprofit was to focus on providing instruments for schools in South Carolina, as they worked with the governor's office and former Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman to find programs in need.
“It’s really grown and stretched past that into a variety of things," Sims said. “It’s kind of expanded. Now, anyone who needs and wants to use music in a positive way and needs help doing it, we've been here to help.”
Te’Quan Coe, a private violin teacher in Hartsville, started working with SoundBites after playing violin at one of the organization's fundraising events. After his performance, SoundBites reached out to see how they could help him expand his lessons moving forward.
“I always wanted to do free violin lessons, because that’s how it was provided for me to learn how to play violin," Coe said. "It was in my heart to do that same thing for other people because I never would have known how much it would have changed my life if I wasn't able to pay for them."
The organization donated about a dozen violins and violas for Coe to share with his students, who were able start their lessons on a high-quality instrument.
SoundBites has also worked with Suzuki Academy, helping the academy buy two high-quality violins for some of Harris’ students and making a considerable donation to the program's tuition assistance fund.
According to Harris, lower-quality violins are made out of cheaper plywood, and the bows are made out of fiberglass, especially at the beginner's level. Higher-quality violins, on the other hand, have a better bow and are made of stronger wood, such as maple or spruce, which creates a better sound.
“(My students) were pretty floored," Harris said. "The first time they drew the bow across the string, they looked at me and they were like, 'Oh, this is so much easier to play.' And then it's just not so frustrating because the sound is really satisfying when you play on a nicer instrument."
After receiving these high-quality instruments, Harris has noticed a shift in her students' demeanor. Playing on a superior instrument makes them feel as if they carry weight as musicians.
“I’ve just noticed in working with them a big change in motivation,” Harris said. “It's the motivation that comes from knowing that — maybe it’s a stupid saying — but knowing that people care and that you matter. (SoundBites) has made it possible for them to have this nice instrument.”
Tony Lee, the treasurer of SoundBites and the co-founder of Freeway Music in Columbia, said that he enjoys being able to provide these nicer instruments, as the difference between high-quality and low-quality instruments is astounding.
“Often, the instrument can be holding back someone that is ready to blossom. And then, when that instrument is handed to them, or they realize that they're getting it, it's the exact thing that you associate with kids and Christmas morning," Lee said. "That purity and that innocence and that gratefulness, it's unmistakable."
Harris said that she is grateful to have an organization like SoundBites in Columbia, as it is always difficult for arts programs to thrive, but according to Trotter, that is precisely why they do what they do.
“We're going (on) our seventh season here. I think it was just the fact that there are so many good, good musicians that come out of the state of South Carolina, and I wanted to do a couple of things: I wanted to give people the instruments and the access to the instruments, but I wanted recognition for those people as well,” Trotter said.
For Lee, the importance of granting access to music is just a part of their mission and what the board of SoundBites loves to do.
“Look at the amazing things that are happening, even in spite of the challenges that they have. And that's why it's so great that we get to do what we do, because we're not necessarily going like, 'Hey, let us help you,' we're like, 'Hey, here's some help. You didn't even expect this was happening,'” Lee said. “I can't put it into words because I can't find all the words to convey how awesome that feels.”