Instrument Petting Zoo
The Instrument Petting Zoo (IPZ) is a collection of instruments that are installed at schools, farmer’s markets, festivals, parks and recreation programs, music camps, and special events with the express purpose of letting young people play them.
The IPZ originated as a program of Young Tradition Vermont. Learn more about YTV here.
The Instrument Petting Zoo includes a wide variety of traditional acoustic instruments: The majority are stringed instruments like fiddles, ukuleles, sarangi, guitars, banjos, mandolins, autoharps, cellos, basses, etc. however it also includes drums, kazoos, maracas, recorders, thumb pianos, tin whistles, and more.
If you would like to host an Instrument Petting Zoo installation at an event, have acoustic instruments in playable condition that you would consider donating, or would like to find out about volunteering as a zoo-keeper, contact YTV Director Ian Drury.
‘The 3 fiddles from the Wrenner Family are well-loved student instruments. Rylee, now an accomplished classical violinist as well as fiddler, worked her way through several practice instruments….. She moved on to bigger and better instruments and these donated instruments are happy to make their home in the Instrument Petting Zoo where other little fiddlers can learn to play them.’
The Instrument Petting Zoo is supported by many individuals, families and organizations – those who donate and maintain the instruments, the Mockingbird Foundation, Randolin Instruments, Vermont Violins, Vermont Folklife Center, the Leslie A. and Harold E. Greene Fiddle Loan Program, Bean’s Violins, the Integrated Arts Academy, installation sponsors and volunteers, and many others.
