Friends of El Sistema Japan (FESJ) has launched this disaster relief fund for musical instruments at the local children's orchestra and the school brass band that have affected with water immersion caused by Typhoon Hagibis in Soma city, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. All donations to this fund will support the repairing and purchasing new instruments for recovery of the orchestra and the brass band.
Soma city once suffered from tsunami by Great East Japan earthquake in 2011, and now hit again by Hagibis 8 years later. Our targets are the Soma Children's Orchestra which we operate and lend strings for free to its members, and the brass band at Soma Higashi public high school. The damaged musical instruments that have immersed in muddy water over a day include cellos, contrabasses, bassoons, a bass-clarinet, saxophones, French horns, timpani, traditional Japanese Kotos and Shamisens.
All donations to this fund will be used for repairing and purchasing new instruments. We will have good coordination with local staffs and teachers to carefully meet the local needs. Immediate repair is the first option, but when it is not repairable, we will proceed to consider buying new instruments.
The full recovery from this disaster will take time and costs as Soma Higashi public high school's school building itself is also badly affected. Recovering musical environment might not be the urgent requirement, but we believe that music will work as a profound emotional support to children and their family and its community who love music in the process of restoring everyday life.
