The Songbirds Foundation will host a party to celebrate its 3-year anniversary in April. The evening will include: live music by Call Me Spinster, a silent auction, the grand opening of the 2020 Epiphone Kids Guitar Design Contest Special Exhibit, and light hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
It will be held Monday, April 6, 5:30-7 p.m. at Songbirds Guitar Museum, 35 Station St., 2nd Floor. To make a reservation email maryhoward@songbirdsfoundation.org by April 3.
The Songbirds Foundation partnered with Dogwood Arts (Knoxville), and Epiphone Guitars to host the 2020 Epiphone Kids Guitar Design Contest. In January, hundreds of kids from across eastern Tennessee submitted art designs for guitars, and 20 students were selected to paint their designs on guitars for this year’s exhibit and auction. These one-of-a-kind art guitars will be auctioned online to benefit the Songbirds Foundation's Guitars for Kids program and Dogwood Arts youth art programs. The exhibit will be on display at the Songbirds Guitar Museum through the month of April.
Over the past three years, the Songbirds Foundation has provided free music lessons and music therapy to thousands of youth across the state of Tennessee. It has served 30 schools, 14 partner programs, and 1,500 students--with 1,000 guitars distributed across classrooms throughout the state. This year, the organization is expanding to Memphis and plans to add additional schools in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Fort Oglethorpe. These programs will add an additional 1,000 guitars with 2,500 students completing the program by Spring 2021.
Songbirds Foundation Executive Director Reed Caldwell said, “I can’t express how proud I am of our team. We have created something special, something that will last, something that will continue to help open minds and encourage kids to think big. With every guitar we put in the field, we are stimulating creativity while combating the decline of music in our schools. On the other side, we are providing free music therapy to kids across Tennessee and helping them cope with life issues. It has been the highlight of my career to see just how strong these kids are and the powerful role that music can have in their recovery.”
The Songbirds Foundation also raises money through its YouTube series, the Vault Sessions. This series now has over 80 episodes with over 8,000,000 minutes viewed. The Foundation will film an additional 50 episodes this year with Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, Jerry Douglas, Eric Gales, and dozens of other guitarists, manufacturers, and music insiders. Help raise funds by subscribing and watching this series at Youtube.com/SongbirdsFoundation.
To learn more about the Songbirds Foundation, visit www.songbirdsfoundation.org.