ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Thanks to your donations, Keeping the Blues Alive has successfully donated ten, half-size, Yamaha Classical Guitars to the music students at McCollum Elementary School!

“When I started playing my guitar in the school hallway before the first bell, several students started gathering around me with a clear interest in music,” Mr. Duran explains. Mr. Duran manages a Guitar Club at McCollum Elementary.

“My school is a wonderful school in a small community and the district hub for intensive special programs but it currently lacks opportunities for students to deepen their interest in learning to read music or to play an instrument,” he says.

“Some of my students have autism, complex family situations, low economical backgrounds, and one of them is a cancer survivor. They are all full of creativity and an eagerness to learn. I am willing to dedicate my time to teach them by creating a Guitar Club at my school but because of their various needs not all of them can afford to bring their own instrument. Some of my students have older guitars with missing strings.  These guitars will be available during Guitar Club and during my preparation times for students to practice their lessons during the week.

Music helps with brain processing, problem solving, communication, mathematical and logical concepts and public speaking. Learning music is fun and is a hobby to keep my at-risk students engaged. It can even become a career for them. Also, it will help my autistic and ADHD students increase attention as has been proven by multiple studies. In the case of my cancer survivor student, it has been shown that when used in conjunction with conventional treatments, music therapy has been found to help reduce pain and discomfort; improve mood and diminish stress; increase quality of life; and allow patients to better communicate their fears, sadness or other feelings.”

Thanks to the support of Joe Bonamassa fans and music lovers like YOU, we were able to fund Mr. Duran’s project. 

Mr. Duran expresses her gratitude:

Dear Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Inc.,

We appreciate the generous donation and will be using these instruments for years to come. Your donation will help encourage these young and eager minds to succeed and to grow. The Guitar club is always growing and now that we have good instruments our success is almost guaranteed! We thank you.

With gratitude,
Mr. Duran

Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation is a 501c3 organization that makes a donation to a school in need of music instruments, supplies, sheet music, and more every week! Your donations help us keep music in schools, while preserving blues heritage.

Without your support, we would not be able to reach as many students around the country. We are grateful for your generosity!

As a result, KTBA has reached over 68,000 students across America by sponsoring over 450 various music projects ranging from purchasing new instruments, field trips, guest clinicians, purchasing supplies, and updating music libraries!

If you would like to help us to continue to make an impact on music education in America, click here to make a donation! All donations are fully tax-deductible.

Thank you for supporting music education for the next generation!