The GSI Foundation Donates $10,000 to Lead Guitar Programs in Los Angeles Schools

We're delighted to share that the GSI Foundation has just donated $10,000 to support classical guitar programs in public schools throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The programs are run by our longtime partner, Lead Guitar, an organization we've been working with since 2019.

Lead Guitar's model is simple and remarkably effective: rather than running after-school clubs, they build classical guitar into the regular school day as a for-credit course, training and mentoring the classroom teacher so the program can take root and grow year after year. For thousands of students across Los Angeles, this is their first sustained encounter with an instrument — and for many, the beginning of a lifelong relationship with music.

Here are the schools these programs serve:

1. Huntington Park High School
2. James Madison Middle School
3. James Monroe High School
4. Gage Middle School
5. East Valley High School
6. Edwin Markham Middle School
7. Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School
8. Carlos Santana Arts Academy
9. Van Nuys Elementary School
10. PUC eCALS High School
11. Holmes Middle School
12. Canterbury Elementary School
13. Belmont High School
14. Francisco Sepulveda Middle School
15. Maurice Sendak Elementary School
16. Ulysses S. Grant Senior High School
17. Woodrow Wilson High School
18. Young Oak Kim Academy
19. Michelle Obama Elementary School
20. El Sereno Middle School
21. Langdon Avenue Elementary School

Music education is often the first thing cut when school budgets tighten, and it's rarely the first thing restored.

How You Can Help

The GSI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and there are two easy ways to contribute:

Donate a guitar or other instrument

This remains our primary source of funding. Donated guitars are sold through GSI, and the proceeds go straight to the Foundation's educational programs. If you have an instrument that's no longer being played — whether it's a fine concert classical or a decent student model — it can be turned into lessons for a young player. Contact us and we'll walk you through the process.

Make a cash donation

Direct monetary gifts of any size help us commit to programs earlier in the school year and reach more classrooms. You can give through the GSI Foundation page. The GSI Foundation issues a tax-deductible acknowledgment letter for all instrument and monetary donations.

To learn more about the Foundation and our work, visit www.guitarsalon.com/foundation. Thank you to everyone who has supported us — this donation exists because of you.