MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name

Stellar Xchange

One-line solution summary.

An instrument recycling program with a strong supporting music community that shares and exchanges their resources and talents.

Elevator pitch

What is your solution?

The benefits of music are countless on the communal and individual level; we are trying to harvest and maximize the power of music through support and unity.

Everyone deserves an equitable, easily accessible opportunity to be an active part of their community; some don’t have the means or just need an initiative to start.

Stellar Xchange is a web/app community where people can give donations or donate instruments to the less fortunate and people struggling with their mental health.

We provide tools of wellbeing, we give broken instruments a second life by allowing someone with the skill, knowledge and will to repair it, as well as volunteering tutors.

Through this network people who share these values and devote their potential for the ones in need, creating a wholesome community.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

The pandemic has caused a substantial rise in symptoms of mental ill-health associated with livelihood and loneliness.

More than 40% of Dutch people experience mental health problems at least once in their lives. Mental illnesses affect both young and old and can have an enormous effect on sufferers and also on family members, friends and colleagues, thus it has a large societal negative impact.

The benefits and influences of music have already been scientifically proven in numerous studies and research, especially on mental health, but its potentials and powers are much more outstanding.

Our plan is to launch the program in the Netherlands, and then try to expand throughout Europe and the world.

(World Happiness Report/Eurofound e-survey/ZonMW)

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The current target population is low income citizens of the Netherlands struggling with mental health. Music has proven to enhance mental health, relieve anxiousness and elevates the mood, yet psychiatrists don’t prescribe it. Having access to musical instruments and tutors would change their life.

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

We have spoken to heartwarming artists that overcame a lot of obstacles through music, and they desire to give back to society in some way, which in return would also give them good publicity.

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Improving healthcare access and health outcomes; and reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities (Health)

Our solution's stage of development:

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution—in other words, what have you accomplished to date?

Working closely with artists and listening to how they overcame challenges and how music helped through and kept them going in the right direction, I believe everyone needs music in their lives, so the concept idea emerged after dozens of interviews and discussions with musicians. We have gathered an experienced team of 5 with knowledge in program development, project management, marketing and psychology and web design and development helped us evolve this idea into an attainable program.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Den Bosch, The Netherlands

Team Lead:

Tajana Tomic