Billie Eilish, Finneas donating ukuleles, music lessons to schools in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Billie Eilish and her brother and musical partner Finneas are donating ukuleles and musical lessons to schools in Highland Park.

Eilish and Finneas are partnering with the Fender Play Foundation and Los Angeles Unified School District to provide instruments and weekly in-person music instruction to about 2,500 elementary school students across 10 Highland Park schools for the next three years.

The program will educate 50 LAUSD teachers to play ukulele alongside the kids in their classrooms. All students and teachers will receive new ukulele packs donated by Fender to the schools.

The Grammy-winning brother-sister team grew up in Highland Park.

"Music changed my life, and it's an incredible feeling to be able to give back to my hometown and provide other kids with the very instrument that made me fall in love with songwriting in the first place,'' Eilish said. "Through this program, I hope we can help inspire the next generation of creatives.''

Interim LAUSD Superintendent Megan K. Reilly added, "Playing music has been shown to strengthen social bonds by helping students find friends and cultivate a sense of community and creative expression.''

Since launching in June 2020, the L.A. Unified program has expanded to 5,000 students and has donated over $1 million in resources and equipment.