Borrowing a tune: Vancouver Library launches musical instrument lending program by Denise Ryan

Denise Ryan
   

Published on: June 7, 2016 | Last Updated: June 7, 2016 8:03 AM PDT

Vancouver Public Library's Sandra Singh with the musical instruments that are now available as part of the library's new musical lending program. Mark van Manen / PNG

Starting Tuesday, dozens of musical instruments, including  guitars, ukuleles, banjos, keyboards, xylophones and drums, will be available free to anyone with a library card as the Vancouver Public Library launches an innovative new lending program. The launch, fittingly, will be a musical event jam packed with talent, including Jacob Hoggard of Hedley, Mother Mother, Ryan & Molly Guldemond, as well as students from the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.

The program was the brainchild of Vancouver’s own Shaw Saltzberg of NextStage Entertainment, who, after a career repping global stars such as Diana Krall, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello and McLachlan, started thinking about how he could bring his love of music to the wider community.

“I wanted to focus on things that would have a real social impact,” he said.

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