Lakeridge students start musical instrument nonprofit

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (KOIN) -- Lakeridge High School student Ocean Punsalan asked two of his friends a question not many high schoolers get asked: Interested in starting up a non-profit?

Punsalan said his friends, Mattias Balogh and Mira Garcia, were onboard with the idea. That's how the Oregon Music Giving Organization began.

He said the inspiration came from "Lolo", his grandfather. "When he was younger he played a lot of instruments, but now they're just collecting dust."

The teens are spending part of their summer giving out musical instruments, teaching kids and groups how to play them and fundraise to pay for things like instrument repairs and piano moving.

They also play a lot of music together -- and take in instruments to give to students and organizations.

"I think bridging that connection and giving people access to instruments is something that is important," he told KOIN 6 News.

The idea has also caught on with some of their other musically inclined friends.

"We have some other students at school that have decided to help us teaching and going to different events," Balogh said. "They're all very talented musicians. They basically go out to do weekly lessons to teach some of these students with the instruments they receive."

They've also set up a free lesson program for beginning musicians.

Those other students will take the baton and keep this non-profit going after these three graduate next year. They're proud of what they started and said everyone should have the opportunity to experience and play music.

"I think music is a very vulnerable and emotional thing," Garcia said. "It's a connecting factor for other people and something that we felt like needed to be shared."