Above (L-R): Chelsea Payne (Donelson Middle School), Ryan Murphey (Nashville School of the Arts), Sarah Robinson (Performing Arts Coordinator), Jeffrey Smith (Director, Visual and Performing Arts, Metro Nashville Public Schools), James “JC” Curleigh (President and CEO, Gibson Brands), Cesar Gueikian (Brand President, Gibson Brands), Heather Freeland (Entertainment Relations-Nashville, Gibson Brands) and Dendy Jarrett (Executive Director, Gibson Gives) photographed at the Gibson Garage in downtown Nashville (Photo: Gibson)
Gibson Gives, the philanthropic arm of Gibson has announced a $300,000 donation to benefit students attending Metro Nashville Public Schools. The public private partnership Music Makes Us will distribute the donation of guitars and other music equipment across Metro Nashville Public Schools music education programs, as well as sistering school districts.
The Gibson Gives donation will directly benefit students in schools with guitar learning programs including the following schools: Antioch High School, Bellevue Middle School, Donelson Middle School, H.G. Hill Middle School, Hillwood High School,John Overton High School, Maplewood High School, McGavock High School, and Nashville School of the Arts. The donation includes Gibson guitars (electric, acoustic, and bass guitars), 36 amplifiers, 1700 pairs of guitar strings, and 116 guitar stands. Additionally, Gibson Gives has provided 1000 PPE face masks to all Nashville Metro Public Schools music students valued at $4,000.
Above: John Overton High School students in Nashville, TN enjoy new Epiphone acoustic guitars in their music class.
Above: John Overton High School students in Nashville, TN enjoy new Epiphone acoustic guitars in their music class.
“Gibson Gives’ extremely generous donation to Metro Nashville Public Schools and Music Makes Us will make a huge difference for our guitar students and teachers across Nashville and Davidson County as they enjoy being back in classrooms and on stages together,” says Dr. Adrienne Battle, Director of Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools. “Thank you to Gibson Gives for once again sharing the gift of music with our schools.”
“Part of the mission of Gibson Gives is supporting music education,” says Dendy Jarrett Executive Director, Gibson Gives. “Music Makes Us through Nashville Public Schools is a fantastic program that bridges a gap between federal funds and school music needs. We are proud to support them right here in our hometown of Nashville, TN.”
As the philanthropic arm of Gibson, the mission of Gibson Gives is to create, develop and support non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, music, and wellness initiatives. 100% of all donations to and from Gibson Gives–a 501(c)(3) organization–go towards giving the gift of music. Since re-launching in 2019, Gibson Gives has raised over $3 million dollars worldwide through its mission. Gibson Gives is changing lives…one guitar at a time. For more information, visit: www.gibsongives.org.
