Orchestra plays hero to student

Aidan Milligan , 9, playing his trombone before it was stolen or mistakenly tossed weeks after he'd gotten it. Video capture

It says it will replace a trombone, the pride of a budding musician, if the instrument isn't found.

By Jonathan Lai, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: October 15, 2012

Drexel Hill will be alive with the sound of music once again.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has stepped in to offer a replacement trombone to 9-year-old Aidan Milligan, whose instrument was taken from the curb outside his house Thursday morning. Because it was a trash day, his mother, Helen, said, it was unclear whether the trombone was stolen or mistakenly thrown into the garbage truck.

Milligan, a special-needs student in fourth grade at Manoa Elementary in Haverford, took the trombone to the bus stop at the end of his driveway because he was so excited for his Thursday trombone lesson, his mother said.

He returned to the house to prepare for school and when he went back out 10 to 15 minutes later to get on the school bus, the family discovered the trombone was missing. Milligan said her son, who has Down syndrome, loved playing the instrument since he first came home with it a few weeks ago.

"Every morning he gets up and he puts it together by himself and he plays it. It's driving his brother and sister crazy, he's playing it so much," she said.

The Philadelphia Orchestra offered to replace the trombone if it is not returned, spokeswoman Katherine E. Blodgett said, and invited the Milligans to the season's first Family Concert on Oct. 27.

Milligan said she was stunned by the generosity of the offer and her son was extremely excited.

"What a thrill!" she said. "This is just so amazing. That's so generous, I just can't even imagine. It's overwhelming."

Contact Jonathan Lai

at 215-854-5151, jlai@philly.com, or on Twitter @elaijuh.