Music Teacher - The Loan Fund for Musical Instruments

No matter how proficient a performer you are, your efforts to convey the depth of a musical work can be hindered by a substandard instrument. Here, Chris Walters gives advice on how aspiring professionals can apply for grants and loans to remove that frustration and further their careers

The LFMI offers the opportunity for up-and-coming professionals to access instruments that will make the difference - © Adobe Stock/Mihaluk

I am honoured to chair the board of trustees of the Loan Fund for Musical Instruments, a charitable trust set up in 1979. I represent the Musicians’ Union on the board, working alongside colleagues from the Worshipful Company of Musicians and other distinguished musicians and educators whose role is to provide governance for the charity and review applications for funding.

The fund exists to help young professional musicians purchase high-quality instruments that they would otherwise be unable to afford. A professional in this context is one whose main source of income is from public performance.

We offer both a grant scheme and a loan scheme. The grant scheme is for students and young professional musicians, covering a period from the beginning of their third year of full-time study until two years after the completion of their full-time course. The loan scheme is for professional players under the age of 36 with sufficient income to repay a loan.