Baltimore's Marching Ravens will donate their collection of used musical instruments to local school and community ensembles, after purchasing new instruments for the 2024 season. The donation will mark the first of its kind for the group, which debuted in 1947 as the Baltimore Colts' Band and is in its 77th year of continuous operation. The band remains the largest musical organization associated with an NFL club.
The donation request form, where applicants can select from specific brass (Sousaphones, Baritones, Mellophones, Trumpets and Trombones) and percussion (Bass, Tenors and Snare Drums) instruments, is available below. It will remain open through Wednesday, August 21.
All applications will be reviewed, and recipients will be notified in early September. Donations will be granted based on program qualifications, needs and location, with preference awarded to those primarily serving Maryland-based youth.
"Every arm and angle of the Baltimore Ravens is committed to community outreach, and this is one example of the marching band doing its part," Baltimore's Marching Ravens president John Ziemann stated. "We're thrilled to open up this exciting philanthropic avenue for the organization. Preserving the arts and sustaining the power of music are incredibly important missions to each present and past member of our band."
The full array of brass and percussion instruments were manufactured by Yamaha. The brass assortment was originally purchased in 1998 and has been used by Baltimore's Marching Ravens for the past 26 seasons. The collection is continuously maintained and annually repaired, and each piece was inspected by Menchey Music for quality assurance in 2024. The percussion line was also replaced in 2009.
Later this fall, Baltimore's Marching Ravens aim to host an instrument donation pick-up event at the Under Armour Performance Center, where the selected donation recipients will receive their instruments. Details of the event are still being finalized, and more information will be announced in the coming weeks.
