Photo Credit: Lechon Kirb
Guitar Center offers to replace instruments and gear destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires for musicians and music education programs.
Guitar Center is offering to replace instruments and gear for musicians and music education programs affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. The retailer is accepting applications through its Guitar Center Music Foundation for special onetime grants to replace instruments or gear. This offer is available only to Los Angeles-based musicians and music education programs, and runs through February 28, 2025.
To qualify, a music program must fit into one of the following categories:
- In-school music classes in which the students make music
- After-school music programs that are not run by the school
- Community music programs which offer music instruction to the community
- Music therapy programs in which participants actively make music
The Recording Academy’s MusiCares initiative is also offering assistance with instruments replacement and repair. They are also offering several other immediate and long-term services for musicians impacted by the fires. This includes providing $1,500 in financial relief and a $500 grocery card to music professionals affected by the wildfires.
The eight wildfires that have ravaged large portions of Los Angeles County since last week have displaced over 150,000 people who have had to evacuate or have lost their homes. Numerous companies and nonprofits have come together to provide resources for victims of the tragedy.
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation is also providing emergency funds for members of the theatrical distribution community affected by the fire. Their usual three-year employment eligibility is waived for natural disaster assistance. Similarly, the Dramatists Guild Foundation has grants available for composers, lyrists, and playwrights affected by the wildfires. These grants can be used for rental costs, medical needs, and insurance payments.
The Motion Picture and Television Fund is working to provide financial aid and an array of social services to working and retired members of the entertainment community. The fund will also provide case management services to support industry members through the many federal and state resources that may be available to them. The NAMM Foundation is also collecting contributions for its members after establishing an LA Wildfire Relief fund with $50,000 in contributions.