## Retired Professor’s Violin Restoration Brings Music to Ames Students
Paul lasley, a retired Iowa State University professor, is quietly making a notable impact on music education in Ames, Iowa, through a dedicated effort to repair and donate violins to local schools. Driven by a lifelong belief in the power of music, Lasley meticulously restores discarded instruments, giving them a second life in the hands of young musicians.
“I always wanted to do something like this,” Lasley explained,recalling a desire to ensure children had access to instruments.He began by repairing the first 12 fiddles for a youth bluegrass band in Chandler, Arizona, where he and his wife previously spent winters.
Last January, Lasley anonymously contributed six violins to the Stephens Auditorium instrument drive, a program launched in 2023 to collect musical instruments for distribution to local schools. Stephens staff discovered his generosity through a social media post and have as recognized him as the drive’s most significant donor. He donated another dozen violins in August, just before the start of the school year, and plans to continue providing instruments, aiming for another dozen before the next school year.
To date, the Stephens Auditorium drive has collected 113 instruments. Tammy Koolbeck, Stephens Auditorium executive director, praised Lasley’s dedication. “It’s just amazing to have someone with so much passion for music help others find that same passion. Paul is allowing so many more young people to have that prospect.”
The impact of Lasley’s donations is felt directly by music educators.Lorna Carroll, outreach coordinator for Stephens Auditorium, shared that teachers have been moved to tears upon receiving the instruments. jotham Polashek, orchestra teacher at Ames’ Fellows, Meeker, and Sawyer elementary schools, expressed his gratitude, stating, “I think what he’s doing is amazing, and we’re really grateful.”
With over 320 fourth and fifth graders participating in orchestra across Ames’ five public elementary schools, the demand for violins consistently outstrips supply. “Every single year, we run fresh out of violins,” Polashek explained. “We want to provide access to as many students as possible, but they go very quickly.”
Beyond the joy of learning an instrument,participation in music programs offers broader benefits. Studies demonstrate a correlation between musical involvement and improved attendance, a stronger sense of belonging, and enhanced academic performance. “It’s life-changing for some kids,” Carroll said. “These students will probably never meet Paul. But look at the lives he’s touching out of pure generosity.”
Lasley views his work as a statement about the importance of music. “Music is the language of the soul,” he said, referencing a phrase he encountered at a musical instrument museum. “It’s part of our being and our culture. It’s our future.”
The Stephens Auditorium instrument drive is ongoing, and donations are welcome year-round. Those wishing to donate a violin in need of repair can contact Lasley at plasley@iastate.edu. Smaller-size models are notably needed, and Lasley accepts violins in any condition, even in pieces, for repair or parts.
