Recycled Tunes was founded in 2013 by the 501(c)(3) Gasparilla Music Foundation , the producer of Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Music Festival. The foundation recognized the importance of the arts in creating a healthy community. After seeing continual budget cuts for local arts and music programs, they saw an opportunity to change the tide by providing advocacy and financial support for local music education. In 2013, the foundation collected used instruments from the community in exchange for a free ticket to its music festival. Over 350 gently used instruments were collected, and the foundation partnered with a local music store to clean, refurbish, and restore the instruments so they could be donated to local classrooms. The program has continued to grow, and in addition to “recycled” instruments, it also provides new instruments, repairs, and other supplies to classrooms across Tampa Bay.