Elixir Strings Gives Joy We're grateful to now be working with the incredible team at Elixir Strings who's helping share the joy of music with aspiring musicians in the developing world! We're stoked to be able to provide our guitar recipients with state-of-the-art, durable, & long lasting strings that are being generously supplied by the kind-hearted and talented staff at Elixir! Elixir has long been known to make incredibly durable, long-lasting strings for guitars but we didn't know … [Read more...]
Refugees Receive Joy
Refugee Camp - Lesvos, Greece FOR REFUGEES pushed into Europe by the Syrian civil war, the refugee camp in Lesvos is often the first stop. Here they are interviewed to determine whether they will be allowed into a European country or sent home. Because of the extreme danger that many refugees still face, there is no photography allowed in the camp as photos have been used to identify and hunt refugees down. This guitar photo was taken from the roadside on the outskirts of the camp before … [Read more...]
Three ways to help now
INSTRUMENTS OF JOY UPDATE Thanks to our donors, we will have delivered well over 200 instruments in over 40 countries this year. We just made our second delivery to Syrian refugees in Greece and equipped several community leaders in extremely remote locations along the Amazon River, Brazil. We've also gifted instruments to aspiring musicians in Columbia, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We continually receive stories of how IOJ … [Read more...]
Sponsor an Instrument for an Orphan in Zambia
We are excited to be have connected with relief teams on the ground in Zambia who have made us aware of the need for instruments in the educational programs they make available to orphans in their care. On this particular project, some strong logistical obstacles have been solved so we are fortunate to be able to deliver a greater number of instruments than usual on a mission to Africa! Help us take advantage of this opportunity by personally sponsoring an instrument for an orphan. Your gift … [Read more...]
Brentwood Rallies Behind IOJ Charity
A Night of Music in Brentwood, TN Instruments Of Joy had it's first successful charity concert on March 3rd, 2017! It was located at The Well Coffeehouse in Brentwood, TN. The local artist and community involvement was profound! We are excited for what should be the start of a power series of music events held in Nashville the year. The event featured four musical artists who donated their time and talents. The evening kicked off with an inspiring performance from singer-songwriter Becca … [Read more...]
IOJ Interview: Kurt Coble
Kurt Coble is a delivery partner with Instruments of Joy and has witnessed the impact of many IOJ instrument deliveries in South America and Africa. Kurt Coble: Hi my name is Kurt Coble. About eight years ago I started an organization with a friend called World Music Mission. Its goal was two things: 1.) To get musicians into missions from this area of Nashville, since we have a lot of them. Many people think of missions as I have to use a hammer, I got to be a doctor, but we found that … [Read more...]
IOJ Interview: Luiza Chrzanowska (Poland)
IOJ INTERVIEW: LUIZA CHRZANOWSKA IOJ: Thanks for joining us for a new special Instruments of Joy interview. Today we are joined by Luiza from Poland, and Luiza thank you so much for agreeing to share with us some of your wonderful stories of how you have used music to serve others around the world! And I want to start of just by asking you specifically how is it that you use music to serve others and where have you served around the world so far? Luiza: Well, that’s a long story. I … [Read more...]
IOJ Interview: Dunia Massa (Belgium)
IOJ INTERVIEW: DUNIA MASSA Instruments of Joy had the privilege of talking with Dunia Massa, a worship leader from LifePoint Brussels. She shares how she has seen music and worship touch people from other cultures and well as how her own life has recently been impacted by receiving the gift of an instrument. DM: My name is Dunia. I'm 19 years old. I'm Belgian and I'm from Belgium. IOJ: Do you sing, write, or play music? DM: Yes, I've sung since I was 11. And I started writing songs … [Read more...]
IOJ Interview: Paradigm Worship
IOJ: Describe your ministry and the countries where you have served. PW: "Our group is called Paradigm Worship. So far, we have had the honor to play worship and music in England, Latvia, Greece, Spain, Belgium, and the US. The reason why we create music is because we believe it is such a powerful tool to communicate truth, hope, and the heart of God to people's hearts. Music engages us on an emotional level so a lot of times it bypasses our heads and cuts straight to the heart. This is a … [Read more...]
5 Benefits of Playing an Instrument
5 BENEFITS OF PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT Scientific and medical research has accumulated much support to the benefits of playing a musical instrument. Music affects us on all levels: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Here are some of the practical and diverse ways music can affect us: 1. PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT GIVES PURPOSE Many young people have shared that music provides meaning in their lives where there was formally boredom, peer pressure to conform, or apathy. It … [Read more...]
