A 55-Year Reunion — and Three Instruments for the Next Generation

When The Washington Post published a story about Tune Up for Tomorrow's Executive Director, Brendan Wheeler’s effort to collect and restore musical instruments for students, something remarkable happened.

The story reached someone close to home.

Brendan’s grandmother, Janis Steven, shared the article on Facebook. Among the people who saw it was David Donin, one of her high school classmates from Metuchen High School in New Jersey. Although David now lives in the Washington, DC area, the two had not spoken since graduating in 1970, nearly 55 years ago.

But the story stayed with him.

David had played tuba in his high school marching band, and the idea of giving instruments a second life for young musicians resonated immediately. After seeing the article, he reached out to Janis and asked for Brendan’s contact information.

He wanted to help.

David offered to donate three instruments to the project:

• a tuba
• a French horn
• a violin

Instruments that had once been part of someone’s musical journey would now be restored and passed on to students who might not otherwise have the chance to play. 

The moment carried an unexpected second story.
 

What began as a newspaper article about expanding access to music had also reconnected two classmates after more than half a century.

 
 For David, the instruments carry memories of playing in his own school band decades ago. For Brendan and the students who will receive them, they represent something else: new opportunities to learn, play, and discover the joy of music. 

Stories like this remind us that music connects people across generations.

An instrument played in a marching band decades ago can find its way into the hands of a student today. A newspaper story can reconnect old friends. And a simple act of generosity can ripple outward in ways no one could have predicted.

Three instruments have already begun their second life.
And somewhere soon, a student will pick one up and play their very first note.


Photos: 1) David Donin donating his instruments to Brendan Wheeler, 2) David Donin's high school yearbook and Metuchen High School band photos from 1970. (David is holding the tuba in the back row center.) 3) Janis Steven's Metuchen High School year book photo from 1970.