On Tuesday, April 16th, a small shipment of classical guitars was the first of several instrument deliveries to the Ashland High School choir room. Over the course of this month, as many as 90 brand new acoustic, electric, bass and classical guitars will find their way into the hands and homes of Ashland students – at no cost to them, the district, or the Ashland Schools Foundation (ASF).
“This project was initiated when an Ashland Middle School (AMS) teacher reached out about funding for a class set of acoustic guitars to start a club in the fall,” explains ASF executive director, Erica Thompson. “After a little research, I found out about Free Guitars for Kids (FG4K) and learned what was possible.”
Free Guitars for Kids, a national non-profit organization, holds the vision that every child should be able to experience both the joy and the tangible benefits of owning a musical instrument. They fundraise and partner with major instrument manufacturers to place new, quality instruments in the hands of young people across the country.
“Music transcends barriers, and every child deserves the chance to explore its transformative power,” shares Free Guitars for Kids executive director, Benjamin Dudley.
ASF worked closely with music educators in the Ashland School District to develop a proposal for donated instruments that would be embraced at all grade levels. After gauging student interest and taking stock of what was desired, a request for 90 instruments was submitted in late March.
“We were amazed to hear back the following week that our request was going to be fulfilled,” says Thompson. “We still didn’t fully know what to expect, right up until the truck arrived.”
Earlier this month, a FedEx truck filled front-to-back with instrument boxes arrived at Ashland High School.
“The most unexpected thing was that every guitar came with not only an amp, cable, strap and bag, but also a gift card for three months of free lessons,” shares Ivan Olinghouse, band director at Ashland High School. “Prior to this, we were unable to send any guitars home with students. This has completely changed that. This is going to have such an impact on so many students.”
The Foundation hopes this is the beginning of an ongoing relationship with FG4K and a pathway to inspire many students in their musical journeys for years to come.
“We’re honored to partner with the Ashland School Foundation to provide the gift of music to young hearts and minds,” says Dudley. “Through our donation of guitars, we hope to foster creativity, inspire dreams, and empower every child to find their unique rhythm in life.”
