The Sound of Music, pread in Rwandan classrooms

In the summer of 2025, over a dozen schools were filled with the uncontrolled, elated shrieks of children as teachers announced that the students were receiving instruments. Due to the passionate efforts of Brandon Yoo, the CEO of Muasis, over 500 recorders and 3 violins found new homes in the hands of children across 15 schools. The donation wasn’t just a one-time, impersonal drop-off; it was the start of something transformative.
 

[Brandon Yoo, the CEO of Muasis]

Dedicated to making musical instruments available for underprivileged children, Brandon spent his summer not only distributing instruments but also creating tailored curriculums to help students learn them. He taught music to children who had never before touched a recorder, let alone heard a violin played live. In schools that often go without the most basic supplies, the arrival of musical instruments—and the structured lessons that came with them—sparked excitement, curiosity, and joy.  
 
“I wanted to do more than donate; I wanted to show these kids what music can mean,” Brandon said. “For many of them, it was their first time holding an instrument. Their enthusiasm reminded me why this work matters.”
 
The donation is part of a broader mission by Muasis, a nonprofit committed to expanding music education in economically vulnerable communities. Rooted in the belief that music is a universal right and not a luxury, Muasis repurposes unused musical instruments and transforms them into opportunities for learning, creativity, and emotional expression.
 

“In many homes around the world, instruments gather dust,” continued Brandon. “However, in classrooms like those in Rwanda, they become gateways to artistic freedom.”
 
Muasis tackles a dual challenge: the surplus of neglected instruments in comparatively wealthier nations and the lack of accessible music education in underserved areas. By collecting and redistributing second-hand instruments, Muasis connects these two realities—bringing music to places where it is most needed.
 

[Brandon Yoo, the CEO of Muasis]

Muasis’ vision extends well beyond its summer initiative. The organization is preparing to launch global social media campaigns on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, using compelling storytelling to inspire individuals to donate their unused instruments. Alongside this, Muasis plans to expand free music education programs in Rwanda and other regions, laying the foundation for sustainable, long-term learning opportunities.
 
Looking ahead, Muasis is also developing an online platform that will feature tutorials, practice materials, and talent-matching tools to connect aspiring musicians with mentors and resources. The nonprofit is further setting its sights on international expansion, aiming to replicate its model of instrument donation and free music education in other developing regions, amplifying its mission of turning unused instruments into gateways of creativity and opportunity.
 
For the children Brandon taught in Rwanda, the impact was immediate—a classroom once filled with silence now brims with melody, rhythm, and newfound love for innovation. For Muasis, this is only the beginning.
  

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