ESP Guitars has made a charitable donation of $30,000 to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The funds were raised via the sales of two artist-signed guitars, with the amount of each sale being matched by ESP. Additionally, ESP made the donation at a time when Spotify was generously matching contributions to the charity, so the total amount provided to MusiCares was $60,000.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to our community of musicians and other people who are part of the live and recorded music industry,” says Matt Masciandaro, president and CEO of The ESP Guitar Company. “We are proud to be able to be in a position to provide a significant contribution to an organization that will offer support to the industry that has helped support ESP for the last 45 years.”
ESP held two special sales in May and June, 2020, to raise funds for the charitable contribution. In May, ESP sold a guitar built by the ESP Custom Shop for longtime ESP endorsee Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, which raised $5,000. In June, the company sold an ESP Kirk Hammett Signature Series KH-2 guitar that raised $10,000. Both guitars had been signed by the artists, and the Kirk Hammett model was also etched with the artist’s initials. ESP then matched the $15,000 fundraising effort with another $15,000, which comprised the $30,000 donation to MusiCares.
With artists unable to tour or perform at local live venues that have been closed due to the pandemic, COVID-19 has had a particularly catastrophic effect on the music industry. MusiCares, as the charitable fundraising and distribution arm of the Recording Academy, offers services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies. The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund is being supported by companies including Amazon Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, Universal Music Group, Tidal, and many others, as well as through individual donations. They have prioritized support for those who are experiencing a medical, dental, mental health, insurance, substance abuse or eviction crisis. More information is available at https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief.
