Guitar Center replaces some missing Marshall instruments

from Guitar CenterGuitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, recently partnered with Little Kids Rock, a leading nonprofit music education provider to U.S. public schools, to help replace audio equipment and instruments that were stolen from the John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School earlier this month. The replacement instruments and audio gear were presented to the students and the school’s Music Director, Joel Lopez, at Guitar Center’s Pasadena store on March 27, 2015.

“At Guitar Center, our mission is to help people make music, not only by providing a retail channel for consumers to purchase instruments, but through sponsorship of music education in our schools and providing free lessons to our customers,” said Guitar Center’s Pasadena store manager, Scott Smith. “When we heard of this horrible situation, it only made sense that we help by replacing as many stolen items as possible.”

Together, Guitar Center and Little Kids Rock replaced the following items stolen from the school:

·       Behringer 212 active speakers

·       Monoprice condenser microphones

·       Peavey bass amplifier

·       Bass guitar

·       Electric guitar

·       Eight-channel audio mixer

“Marshall High School is thrilled to have the support and donations of Guitar Center in order to support the continued learning and performance of music inside and outside of the classroom,” said Lopez. “The music program would not be where it is without the support of such excellent community partners and friends.”

In 2014, Lopez attended Little Kids Rock’s free music workshop, where he and other teachers from the Los Angeles area were trained and equipped to launch the Little Kids Rock “Modern Band” program, which helps facilitate the teaching of popular musical styles that kids know and love, like rock, hip hop, country, blues and funk. More than 13,000 students in over 170 Los Angeles area schools currently run Modern Band programs, which complement traditional music programs like Choir, Orchestra, Marching Band and Jazz Band.

“When we heard that instruments were stolen from one of the schools we support, we were obviously devastated, especially since it is National Music In Our Schools Month,” says Little Kids Rock founder and CEO David Wish. “We are so grateful that Guitar Center could help replace the instruments on such short notice so that our kids can continue to unleash their inner music makers this school year.”

Ed note: About $15,000 worth of instruments and sound equipment was stolen from the school on Feb. 28, 2015.  Deputies from the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, investigating a suspicious vehicle, recovered several of them, but over 51 were still missing.  The band played in band competition and at Disneyland the following weekend with borrowed instruments.  A GoFundMe campaign by the Marshall band boosters has raised over $18,000 to replace and secure the instruments.