Marshall Music answers Detroit’s WDIV’s call to help the Detroit School for the Fine and Performing Arts

On Tuesday morning, January 27^th, Bruce Woodhull, General Manager of Marshall Music, received a phone call from the Detroit TV station WDIV, channel 4. It was from the producer of newscaster Ruth Spencer’s Ruth to the Rescue. The Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts had experienced a break-in over the weekend and the band and orchestra rooms had been ransacked. The wind ensemble, conducted by Ed Quick, had just performed at the conference in Ann Arbor and the jazz band was to perform at the University of Michigan Jazz Symposium the next week. Unfortunately, the Detroit schools provide instruments for the students and these had been destroyed beyond repair. It was apparent the students would have to cancel the jazz symposium performance.

     WDIV’s Ruth to the Rescue wanted to help Ed and his students overcome this tragedy.   Another TV station had been taking donations of instruments from area residents but these were generally old and in need of a great deal of repair. WDIV wanted to do more. After contacting music dealers in Detroit and southeastern Michigan, WDIV was unable to find anyone willing or able to help the school’s music program until they contacted Marshall Music.

     Dan Marshall, president of Marshall Music, and Bruce Woodhull offered to provide instruments for the school through the end of the school year and to replace all the broken drumheads at no cost. Two days later Marshall’s delivered a total of $25,000 in instruments and equipment; $23,700 in instruments and $1300 in drumheads, to the school.

     Ruth Spencer and WDIV were on hand as Dr. Kenneth S. Burnley, CEO of Detroit Public Schools, and principal Denise D. Davis-Cotton joined Ed Quick and his students in accepting the generous donation from Marshall Music. As Marshall’s pulled up with the instruments the students rushed out to unload them. “I can’t believe this, this is fantastic” was the comment from one of the students.

     “This has been an up and down week” Quick said. “I have been on the phone constantly and people have been so supportive. I can’t thank Marshall Music enough for coming to our rescue with their generosity.”