Ashland High School receives 90 new guitars from national music nonprofit

ASHLAND, Ore. -The Ashland High School music room just got 90 times louder, thanks to a shipment of all new guitars.

Monday, students in the Ashland High School garage band class played their hearts out on brand new instruments.

National non-profit Free Guitars 4 Kids partnered with the Ashland Schools Foundation to award 90 new acoustic, electric, and bass guitars to the high school. It comes at no cost to the students, the school district, or Ashland Schools Foundation.

Ben Dudley of Free Guitars 4 Kids says the organization works with major instrument companies, such as Fender and Gibson, to fundraise for new quality instruments for young people.

“We live in a world where a lot of kids can’t afford an instrument, and so they don’t have access to try new things and guitar is an amazing avenue, it’s like giving someone a superpower for life,” Dudley says.

Dudley also says access to music is crucial for kids’ overall wellbeing.

Free Guitars 4 Kids has gifted instruments to kids in 17 states and two countries, but it’s the first time a school in the Rogue Valley has been awarded.