| Focus Area: |
Disaster Relief |
| Project: |
Music Rising |
| Commitment By: |
Gibson Guitar Corp |
| Partners: |
Guitar Center Music Foundation, Musicares, Conn-Selmer, VH-1 and MTV Networks, Ticketmaster, SpinCo (formerly Clear Channel Entertainment), and Kennedy and Marshall Company |
| Value: |
$2 million |
Objective: To restore instruments lost during the 2005 hurricanes to area musicians.
Commitment: Gibson Guitar Corp has donated time and materials totaling $1 million in value to manufacture guitars using timber from the afflicted states. These guitars, hand painted in Mardi Gras colors, are part of a limited edition and are available to purchase exclusively from Guitar Center, which matched an additional $1 million financed by the sale of the guitars. This project will help music continue to thrive in an area widely known for its tremendous contribution to global music and culture.
Background: Many musicians from the devastated areas in and around the Gulf Coast lost instruments in the ruin of the hurricanes. In an attempt to provide immediate and lasting assistance to musicians, music producer Bob Ezrin, famed musician the Edge, and Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz formed the Music Rising campaign. This project was launched with the aim of recycling damaged wood from the affected areas for use as a 100% charitable donation to restore instruments to musicians that lost their own. Edge, of the globally famous rock group, U2, has given of his time and energies to promote this project and serves as the spokesman for it. Edge has spent time first-hand with local musicians and has committed to help ensure that the music and culture of the region rise again. Edge is currently playing one of the Music Rising guitars on tour to promote and provide exposure for the project.
| Point of Contact: |
Caroline Galloway, Director of Public Relations
Gibson Guitar Corp |
| Geographic Scope: |
Gulf Coast region of the United States. |
| Anticipated Launch Date: |
November 2005 |
| Anticipated Duration: |
Ongoing |
Partnership Opportunity: Donors from around the globe are invited to contribute. Any charitable funds received will go directly to the Music Rising program.
Update:
December 2005:
Prototypes of newly designed guitars were given to Edge for approval and to the Rock Museum between November 22 and December 2. Production of 300 units began on December 2. The final shipment of Music Rising instruments for Gulf Coast musicians was sent on December 22.