Latest news with #WarrenWilsonCollege
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘This is my therapy': 1,000 free musical instruments help Hurricane Helene survivors get their groove back
SWANNANOA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – You don't need a trained ear to know when a guitar sounds out of tune. On Saturday at Warren Wilson College, the spirit of community was pitch perfect. 'This is our community service,' says luthier Cathy Currier of Kentucky, who came to Western North Carolina to lend her expertise with guitars to be distributed to Helene Survivors. 'Cleaning, restringing, and adjusting,' she told Queen City News. Currier and others in the music community stepped up for a simple reason, she explained. 'Music saves lives,' Currier says. 1,000 donated guitars and other equipment will be given to Helene survivors Many lost instruments in the historic storm and John Rogers of Grayson County, Virginia has felt lost ever since. 'A new start, a little bit of light,' he said of the chance to replace his musical equipment. He was among the first in a long line to grab hold of the lifeline they believe has the power to save their psyche. 'Thanks for coming; we've got plenty of instruments for everybody!' a volunteer assured them. Wood Songs collected more than a thousand instruments to be distributed for free to those who endured Helene. The inventory included guitars, drums, horns, keyboards, amps, and more. Folk musician Michael Johnathan leads the distribution effort. 'They create the soundtrack of America's front porch,' he said. 'So exciting to see these many hundreds of people lining up to get the instruments donated from all over America because America loves the spirit of the front porch, and that is what these people represent.' 'We know that the region has gone through a very hard time,' Johnathon announced before the crowd got their pick of a wide array of instruments. 'Okay, I'll take it!' one man says, grabbing an acoustic guitar. Each donation was like a gift from a stranger, and yes, there were a few strings attached. Sometimes, it comes with a note from the donor. 'Peace, love, and good music to you,' said Kari Porter, a UNC Asheville student, who found calm after the storm. 'After Helene, I was using instruments from campus, and I wasn't able to enjoy that craft, and this is just incredible,' Porter says. 'This one's gorgeous, man,' Rogers said, choosing a guitar. 'I'll take that one. Thanks, man, I appreciate it.' Without music, they'd all miss a beat. 'This is my therapy,' says Rogers. 'God, you're saving my life here, thank you so much!' he told volunteers. On this day, it was a constant stream of strums with smiles. 'After the storm, me and my family have been financially thin,' said Western Carolina student, Draegan Taylor. Getting his groove back means everything. 'It's how I connect with other people,' Taylor says. For months, musicians have been forced to adapt to the sound of silence. Now, they can reclaim the sound of solace. Tyler Ladd christened his guitar with a Bob Dylan classic. 'And accept it that soon, you'll be drenched to the bone,' he sang while trying out a guitar. 'You'd better start swimming, or you'll sink like a stone; the times, they are a-changing.' 'Means the world to me to be able to have this,' said Ladd. Together, they've learned disaster recovery is not a solo act. That gives them gratitude. 'Thank you so, so much,' Rogers repeated. 'Thank you so, so much. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!' He can't say it enough. He and hundreds of others are reconnected with a soothing source of identity that's been sorely missed. 'Changed my whole situation in like 30 seconds,' Rogers says. WoodSongs isn't the only group reaching out to musicians hit by Helene. The nonprofit ReString Appalachia continues to collect instruments and cash donations to help restore the soundtrack of the mountains. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2,000 Free Instruments Given to North Carolina Hurricane Victims
The post 2,000 Free Instruments Given to North Carolina Hurricane Victims appeared first on Consequence. On Sunday, March 9th, a charity drive at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina gave away more than 2,000 free musical instruments to North Carolina hurricane victims, as reported by WLOS. A riverside community outside of Ashville, Swannanoa was hit particularly hard by the devastating Hurricane Helene. In response, the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour organized the massive instrument giveaway in an effort to assist those affected. The team, including the program's host Michael Johnathon, spent months collecting donated instruments from 36 different drop-off locations in spots like Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and even Texas and New York. 'We haven't forgotten the situation of folks affected by Helene,' Johnathon said prior to the event. 'You are the comfortable rocking chair of America's musical front porch. So many people donated violins, guitars, cellos, banjos, trumpets, and more. The response has been phenomenal.' As the first-come, first-serve distribution day arrived, the team's stock of instruments had surpassed 1,600 in total. Then, in the days leading up to the event, an additional 200 instruments were donated, according to local coverage from WNC's Fiasco Media. That number only continued to climb thanks to additional donations gathered by young bluegrass up-and-comer Wyatt Ellis, who helped bring in more than 100 additional pieces of equipment. Following Sunday, the organizers announced that all of the donated gear had ultimately found a home. The event served as Johnathon's third instrument drive, and while it was intended to help Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee residents in particular, no recipients were required to provide proof of residence or additional information. Even months after Hurricane Helene has subsided, relief efforts in affected areas continue to be of incredible importance. Last year, a number of efforts from various artists aimed to provide funding for relief, including charity compilations and sizable donations from folks like Dolly Parton and Metallica. For more information on how to help and where to donate, check out our resource page here. 2,000 Free Instruments Given to North Carolina Hurricane Victims Jonah Krueger Popular Posts Tool Apparently Booed for Disappointing Set at Their Own Festival Jon Stewart Calls Out Elon Musk for Flaking on The Daily Show Interview Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Dies After Falling Overboard on '80s Cruise That Band Was Playing Dead Kennedys Legend Jello Biafra Joins Cavalera Onstage for "Nazi Trumps F**k Off": Watch Gene Hackman and Wife's Causes of Death Revealed Monty Python and the Holy Grail Returning to Theaters for 50th Anniversary Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
