At the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), a normally quiet Saturday in March was filled with the sounds of drills humming and stairs creaking as Boy Scouts and parents moved about the building. Scouts from Troop 1865 were on site to work on an Eagle Scout project led by Robinson High School sophomore Brendan Williamson to upgrade the storage for the academy’s Instruments in the Attic (IiA) Program.
Founded in 2008, Instruments in the Attic is a donation program through 91’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, which has provided hundreds of instruments to music students at the university, in local high schools, across Virginia, and beyond.
A violinist at Robinson High School in Fairfax, Williamson wanted to work with IiA because of his passion for music and musical education. He heard about IiA from an adult in his troop.
“Many old instruments sitting unused in attics, basements, or closets go overlooked,” he said. “But each one has the potential to inspire a new musician who otherwise might not have access to musical education.”
Through his Eagle Scout project with Instruments in the Attic, Williamson helped collect, clean, and refurbish these instruments so they could find homes with aspiring musicians.
From their initial meeting, Mary Lechter, MCAA executive director, and Lucas Kremer, coordinator of music programs and outreach, said they were impressed by Williamson’s ideas for the project, as well as his openness to their thoughts on what would be most beneficial to IiA. Throughout the planning and execution phases of the project, Lechter said Williamson showed initiative, leadership, and attention to detail beyond his years.
Williamson also reached out to local music stores, fellow students at Robinson, and members of his scout troop for instrument donations. He was able to collect 30 instruments.
For the construction portion of his project, Williamson and his team of 24 volunteers built new shelving for the instruments. Williamson also designed an online inventory system for the program to track and manage instrument repairs.
"Having the opportunity to make a positive impact, especially in an area that you are passionate about, is an incredible experience, and I am so lucky to have been able to work with the wonderful people at Instruments in the Attic and the Mason Arts Community Academy,” Williamson said.
