Livestream Fundraising Concert for Young Local Aspiring Musicians

One of the things that makes Acadiana so great is the art of music. We have so many talented artists in Lafayette and surrounding areas. Many people may not even realize that because of that reason, we have the Lafayette Community M.I.Brary. What is that you ask? The program lets young, aspiring musicians check out musical instruments just like a library lets you check out books. The service is available at the Chenier Branch of the Lafayette Public Library. You must be 16 years or older and have a Lafayette Public Library card in good standing to check out an instrument. You can browse the inventory of instruments and check out whatever you like for 4 weeks. When the time is up, return it and check out a new one. Simple.

Ryan Cazares, founder of the Lafayette Community M.I.Brary, started a fundraiser to help young musicians and their families continue to pay for music lessons during Covid-19. According to The Lafayette Community M.I.Brary Facebook page, the coronavirus pandemic has put a lot of financial strain on local families and 50 Music Academy of Acadiana students have had to drop out of lessons due to financial concerns.

The fundraiser’s goal is to raise $6400, which is the amount it would cost to pay for a month’s worth of lessons for the 50 children who have dropped out of the Academy. According to KATC, Dr. Ryan Cazares says he teamed up with Tim Benson, owner of the Music Academy of Acadiana, to form the M.I.Brary Music Lessons Relief Fundraiser. Cazares is planning a live streaming concert featuring artists such as Sweet Cecilia, Major Handy, Sailor Mouth, and Dr. C & the Gris Gris. This concert is their one last push for the fundraiser. It will be aired on Thursday, May 14th at 7:30 p.m. at Facebook.com/mibrary. You can donate @mibrary on Venmo. Or by clicking here.

Our community is lucky to have such a great resource to have for our young, aspiring musicians. To learn more about the Lafayette Parish Library’s M.I.Brary program, visit their website here.