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MUSIC FOR LIFE ALLIANCE and MURIEL ANDERSON'S ALL STAR GUITAR CONCERTS FUND GITC
 This Fall, Guitars in the Classroom received an exciting call from John Wise, associate to the Music For Life Alliance (MFLA) saying that his organization's founder, fingerstyle guitarist Muriel Anderson and the MFLA board of directors had chosen to award $6,000 to GITC! This is the largest gift GITC has ever received from MFLA and it could not have come at a better time. We had special opportunities on the horizon and needed funds not designated in this year's budget to make these possible. GITC is so grateful to Muriel, John, and the board of MFLA and all the fans and sponsors of Muriel's All Star Guitar Nights for their timely and important support.
 GITC joins forces with the UN to bring music worldwide. One project MFLA made possible allowed GITC join United Nations peace emissary John Kiehl in NYC in September to join the groundbreaking efforts of the International Council for Caring Communities guided by professor Dianne Davis in its endeavors to help people in developing nations create positive economic and social solutions through music. The event marked the launch of the Music as a Natural Resource Compendium which presents noteworthy musical programs and organizations from around the world to anyone interested in developing musical approaches to solving today's challenges.
 | | Dr. Matthew H.M. Lee |
GITC's founder and director Jessica Baron made a brief experiential presentation to dignitaries and ambassadors at this special event honoring the achievements of Dr. Matthew H.M. Lee (pictured left). Jess was joined by several GITC trainers, sponsors and friends including Dick Boak of Martin Guitars, members of the D'Addario family, artist advocate Randall Williams, and Alan Blankstein, founder and director of the Hope Foundation, an organization helping schools build greater trust, success, and communication at all levels.
GITC's new program model Music & Medicine is conceived! Our participation in the evening at the National Arts Club has led to the birth of GITC's newest model in development, Music & Medicine! The conversation was a natural outcome from working with the event's coordinator, Ms. Judy Roberts who raises funds for research and a cure for lung cancer and works with the development departments in several Boston area hospitals, and earlier discussions with Executive Director Ruth Atheron from Raising the Blues. Working all together in early 2011, this effort will be funded by a generous grant from the C.F. Martin Foundation and will begin bringing GITC training to pediatric staff and childlife volunteers! In addition to a cash grant to fund teacher training,C.F. Martin has committed to donate 15 LX guitars to the Boston area program. Anyone interested in more information can write to Jess.
| ICCC Compendium 2010
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Music For Life Alliance's contribution is also helping GITC fund teacher training courses in Hawaii, New York, North Carolina, and Mississippi this year. The schools are crying out for more music making for student in Title 1 schools where the majority of students are 'at risk' and underserved.
Whether facing budget cuts, hard economic times, or trouble resulting from natural disaster and the BP oil spill, each of these programs needed someone to care and MFLA answered the call.
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Playing For Change & Education: Auction Results
Three cheers for everyone who attended or participated or passed along word about our first ONLINE AUCTION! Thank you!!!! The GITC & Playing for Change Foundation Auction was such a fun and fulfilling way to spread the word and work of our organizations! Our staff was elated to be able to offer all sorts of good deals on special instruments, vacation and pleasure items and artwork.
 | | Some of the instruments featured in the auction. From Left to Right: Martin SWOMGT, Luna Blue Dolphin Ukulele, Godin 5th Ave Kingpin |
Special thanks and congratulations to the biggest auction winners, Hawaiian and fingerstyle guitarist Tom Lunneberg, and bidders Jimi Akin, Amber Bechtol and longtime GITC supporter Rick Boyer for their successful bids. Tom won both the Godin 5th Avenue jazz guitar and the phenomenal C.F. Martin special edition Smartwood guitar signed in gold by by famed social activist/singer songwriter Jackson Browne. For her husband, Amber won the darling Blue Dolphin uke, signed by one of their favorite musicians, Jake Shimabukuro. Jimi Akin won the gorgeous Luna Blue Dolphin guitar signed by Jack Johnson and Jake Shimabukuro! Rick Boyer helped out GITC by winning KMC Music's black 1861 AX Ovation and a super pack of cool guitar accessories from Planet Waves and D'Addario & Co. The auction was made possible by the following sponsors: C.F. Martin, D'Addario & Co., Dancing Cat Records, Godin Guitars, Samick Music Corporation's Greg Bennett Guitars, High Road Productions, KMC Music, Inc., Levy's Leathers, Luna Guitars, PRS Guitars (Paul Reed Smith), Peak Music Int'l., US Music Corp., and VH1 Save the Music!
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Meet the Faculty: Janis Vaile
 Janis Vaile began teaching with GITC in 2008. Coming from a background as an Early Childhood Education specialist and private guitar instructor, Janis had an instinctive feel for working with adult beginning players, particularly those teaching in the early grades. After launching a successful program at Kester Avenue Elementary School (a charter school serving the San Fernando valley) Janis was eager to start more programs. At the time, Dan Smith (SECRETARY, GITC BOARD OF DIRECTORS) volunteered to go to his employer Guitar Center Corporate Headquarters, to see if their charitable giving committee might support this work. Guitar Center agreed to fund Janis' programs on a quarterly basis, and gave GITC enough support ($10,000 over the course of the school year) to launch a new program serving Conejo Unified School District where Guitar Center Corporate HQ is located. At the same time, Guitar Center donated enough funding to also foster a program in West Los Angeles taught by GITC instructor Gary Saunders at Castle Heights Elementary.
 | Teachers in Training at M.A.T.E.S. Elementary
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Daisy Rock donated many Pixie acoustic guitars so that teachers in the Conejo Valley program could play instruments from a company located just a couple towns away, and this made for a great local effort! That program is in its second year and is hosted at the charter school M.A.T.E.S. Elementary in Thousand Oaks - the Meadows Arts & Technology Elementary School. This host school specializes in inspiring and empowering their students through the integration of arts, technology, and now music. Alfred execs Andrew and Karen Surmani from Daisy Rock's sister company, Alfred Music Publishing, help make the school an exciting and artistic environment! This truly is a beautiful story of partnership between GITC's Music Products Industry sponsors and public education!
 | | Host site for GITC's new San Fernando Valley program |
The latest of Janis' programs to receive funding from Guitar Center serves teachers from the northeast San Fernando Valley in North Hills and Panorama City! This class meets at Mayall Elementary School. The children whose lives are touched by this program come predominately from hard working low income families, and are considered under-served/high-risk youth. Both of the prinicpals at Mayall Elementary & sister school Liggett Elementary are thrilled to have GITC training their teachers with Janis and their PTO's are pitching in to help fund the work! Janis is teaching many songs in Spanish and English from GITC's AMIGO Program in this new class, so that teachers serving English Language Learners have a powerful new tool for helping kids whose primary language is Spanish. Using music in this context not only helps students develop their skills in speaking, writing, and reading English, but fosters a sense of classroom community under a common language.
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Featured Artist: Pitz Quattrone
 Pitz Quattrone came to Guitars in the Classroom as a friend and client of GITC Photographer Thom Wolke who has assisted GITC with benefit concerts, connections to artists, and all matter of practical advice. Thom is also the primary photographer for our forthcoming Green Songbook through Alfred Publishing due out January 2011. As Pitz' manager, he saw a natural connection between Pitz' style of introducing beginners to the Didgeridoo. Pitz & GITC's Executive Director met 2 summers back at an arts camp called Common Ground on the Hill, where Pitz was teaching Didgeridoo construction and performance to a group of newbies. Jess was looking for the link from that point forward to bring Pitz into this work. During our first auction, Pitz generously donated one of his handmade Didges, and this item garnered all kinds of attention.
Pitz Quattrone has dedicated his life to the study, the crafting, and the playing of the Didgeridoo (Yidaki). Although he lives in Vermont, his heart lies half a world a way in Arnhemland, Australia - the birthplace of the instrument. Having performed with such diverse and prolific performers such as Pete Seeger, Guy Davis, and the Dark Star Orchestra, Pitz has not only displayed the sonic versatility of the instrument, but has shared his passion for the instrument with others by performing concerts, playing on recordings, instructing workshops, leading school assemblies, and giving private instruction. He has been performing professionally since the mid '80s.
In 2011, Pitz Quattrone and his partner Shrimp will be releasing a 10 song EP featuring the musicians in a full-band electric setting, as well as a video for the single off the EP "Electric Tan". Stay tuned for news about this project, and learn more about Pitz' rich history with the Didgeridoo/Yidaki at PitzonDidge.com
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Art N' Soul on 101: 3rd Anniversary Party
On Saturday, November 13th,
Art N' Soul Gallery on 101 in Encinitas, California celebrated their 3rd anniversary, and we celebrated being the fortunate recipients of program funding from this innovative business. Gallery owners Cindy Blumkin and Paige Perkins created Art N' Soul as a community hub where locals and vacationers could view and purchase original west coast artwork. Their concept- to assist local non-profits making a difference in arts, education, and human services, has become a successful venture. The gallery has donated thousands of dollars to local charities while helping California artists build their reputations and clientele. Guitars in the Classroom thanks Art N' Soul for keeping our Teacher Training programs in Oceanside, Encinitas, and Cardiff going with this altruistic new business model. It is our hope that those going into business will look to Art N' Soul as a guiding light. For more information, visit their website.
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Edition #20: December 16th, 2010
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Paul Reed Smith Joins Guitars in the Classroom
Guitars in the Classroom is thrilled to welcome Paul Reed Smith Guitars to our family! PRS graciously donated a Custom 24 SE 25th Anniversary Electric Guitar to our recent auction (pictured), which sold as one of the most popular items. Big thanks to Rebecca Eaddy & Paul from PRS!
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The National Guitar Summer Workshop is more than a guitar camp or music camp. A premier weeklong residential music education program, NGW has been instructing musicians of all ages for over 25 years. Their faculty offers music instruction, whether you play guitar, drums, bass, keyboards or sing. The program is perfect for the beginner or the advanced professional. It's the final month of NGW's early enrollment special! Enroll before the end of December and receive an automatic $50 discount!
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Meet Yvonne DeVilliers
Planetary Activist
Designer
Luna Guitars
Yvonne de Villiers is the founder and designer for Luna Guitars, and contributor to GITC's Forthcoming Green Songbook. This publication will be available in January from Alfred Music Publishing. It features songs for celebrating and learning about eco-sustainability. Each chapter of the book starts with advice and resources from someone who has dedicated their life to nurturing the planet.
 | | Artwork by Dick Boak |
Yvonne's writing on "Keeping The Vision Alive" can be found at the beginning of the final chapter of The Green Songbook. She is a second generation Florida native who has spent a good part of her life teaching ecology and fighting development along Florida's sensitive marshes and estuaries. Recently, de Villiers established Musicians on a Mission, an initiative created to assist players in coming together to reclaim our rightful heritage to a healthy planet. Want to learn more about Yvonne's work? Tune into her Blog or visit Luna Guitars.
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This month, Guitars in the Classroom's "Open G" Tuning made a journey home to Hawaii to meet the people whose ancestors made possible this special way of tuning the guitar. In Hawaii, Open G is called "Taro Patch." The strings are tuned from lowest to highest D-G-D-G-B-D. When strummed, they play a harmonious G chord from which teachers in our programs learn to play simplified chords. KMC Music, Inc. donated 40 beautiful new Amigo guitars, so teachers on Oahu and Maui could learn to play songs for learning in Taro Patch tuning in their classrooms. These programs have begun with grants from The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation (Jack Johnson), and The Mohala Hou Foundation, which is directed by Moanalani Beamer, wife of legendary slack key guitarist Keola Beamer. Thanks to the kind folks at Hawaiian Airlines for bringing Jess to and from the Islands to make this cultural endeavor possible.
This year, GITC's holiday card will be a special report on making music in the schools in Hawaii, which will be sent to you on December 29th. GITC wishes you much aloha spirit in the year ahead!
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California Vintage Guitar
GITC would like to thank Glenn Harrison, Joey Bauher, David Swartz, Dan Duhren, and Tommy Kay from California Vintage Guitar & Amp of Sherman Oaks, CA for their continued support of GITC's Los Angeles Area programs. In helping our teachers tune, repair, and maintain their instruments, they are helping ensure success and happiness during the learning process. If you live nearby, stop by their shop to check out their amazing selection of guitars.
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Peak Music Donates to Gulf Coast Program
Peak Music International, a long time supporter and friend of GITC recently donated 16 premium guitar stands to Madeline DeHart's Abbeville, Louisana Program, an area that was devastated by the recent BP Gulf Coast Oil Spill. GITC, Madeline, and her teachers in training thank Pamela Liu from Peak Music for her generosity in their time of need.
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Hot Off The Press From Our Friends at The Playing For Change Foundation
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In the beginning of 2010 the Playing For Change crew began work on a new Song Around the World, John Lennon's "Imagine." It has been an amazing year of production, taking the crew from the favelas of Brazil to the shrines of southern India, from villages in Nepal to the glittering urban landscape of Tokyo and New York, and beyond. This song is the Playing For Change Foundation's gift to the world. The Playing For Change Foundation feels honored to have the blessing and generous support of Yoko Ono as music lovers around the world join together to launch the Power to the People campaign. The campaign seeks to advance John Lennon's vision of peace by engaging artists and audiences to contribute to music education programs worldwide. Proceeds raised will help build music schools, support teachers and music programs, purchase instruments, and connect schools for cross-cultural learning and conflict resolution across borders. Music IS the power: Power to the People.Related Links:Playing For ChangePlaying For Change Foundation
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Why Music Matters
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