Gibson Gives Debuts First-Ever Music Scholarship Program; First Scholarship Awarded Honors Iconic Godmother Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Gibson:

Announces First-Ever Annual

Gibson Gives Music Scholarship Program

Gibson Gives Partnership With Save The Music Foundation To Donate 15 Cash Scholarships To Young Students This Year

First Scholarship Awarded Honors The Iconic, Godmother Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Credit: Getty images.

Download photos: HERE.

NASHVILLE, TN (June 24, 2022) Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand headquartered in Nashville, TN, is thrilled to announce its first-ever, annual music scholarship program. For the evergreen Gibson Gives Scholarship Program, Gibson–through its philanthropic arm Gibson Gives–will award 15+ music scholarships this year comprised of cash grants, as well as instruments and gear, allowing meaningful giving directly to high school seniors as they prepare to navigate their post grad education and careers. Gibson Gives will partner with Save The Music Foundation for 10 of 15 scholarships this year to help both musicians and prospective music students nationwide develop a career in the music industry.

The new Gibson Gives Scholarship Program has launched with the Sister Rosetta Tharpe Scholarship–the first-ever music scholarship created in honor of the iconic and incomparable Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The Sister Rosetta Tharpe Scholarship has been awarded to Sierra Guilmartin, a senior at Philadelphia High School for Girls who plans to pursue music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in the Fall. The scholarship, created through support by the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, marks the first award from Gibson Gives directly to students in support of their post-secondary pursuits in music. Save The Music Foundation has partnered with the School District of Philadelphia since 1999, supporting expanded student access to music education through instrument donations, professional development for teachers, and Music Industry Masterclasses for students interested in exploring careers in music and entertainment. Instrument donations have included general music instruments, band and string instruments, digital keyboards, and recording and production equipment through the J Dilla Music Tech Grant, which launched at South Philadelphia High School in 2018.

The Gibson Gives Scholarship Program is available to students with a guitar interest, who are planning to pursue music of some form in college. Each recipient will receive one guitar, as well as a $5,000 cash grant to assist in their ​college funding. The Gibson Gives and Save The Music Scholarships alone will result in $75,000.00+ (10 grants of 5,000k, and 10 Gibson guitars) in giving to young musicians. The scholarships will be created in both current and legacy artist’s names to celebrate their cultural impact across multiple genres of music; expect more to be announced soon.

“The launch of our new scholarship program in partnership with Save The Music allows us to directly impact the lives of young musicians” says Dendy Jarrett, Executive Director, Gibson Gives. “For our first scholarship, we’re proud to be partnering with Save The Music to both pay tribute to the godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll, the great Sister Rosetta Tharpe and to support the developing careers of young musicians and creators!”

“I love that Gibson has taken inspiration from a trailblazing musician like Sister Rosetta Tharpe –and channeled it into a meaningful new opportunity for young musicians” says Henry Donahue, Executive Director of Save The Music. “We’re very grateful at Save The Music to Gibson Gives and our partners at the Public Schools of Philadelphia for shining a light on both Sister Rosetta Tharpe and these students. We can’t wait to see and hear what these young creatives come up with next on their life journeys.”

Above (L-R): Frank Machos, Executive Director, School District of Philadelphia, Office of the Arts & Creative Learning, Sierra Guilmartin, Recipient, Sister Rosetta Tharpe Scholarship, and Dr. William Hite, Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s immense talent and confidence arrived during an era when women, and especially women of color, had no voice. An era where no woman dared play guitar at the front of the stage, let alone front a solo act. No woman except Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

An audacious performer from Cotton Plant, Arkansas who became a gospel superstar, Sister Rosetta Tharpe is an artist that rarely comes up in debates about the true founding father of rock ‘n’ roll. She fronted her own band, she was one of the first artists of note to play the iconic ‘61 Les Paul SG Custom electric guitar, she was a headlining, black female artist who toured through the segregated Jim Crow South, and she has been largely overlooked as a seminal figure in the creation of rock music. As it turns out, the founding father of rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t a father at all – that distinction belongs to Sister Rosetta. A gospel-trained force of nature that broke barriers, stereotypes, and norms with astonishing regularity, her electrifying music predates the work of like-minded guitar legends including Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Elvis. Sister Rosetta Tharpe unequivocally remains the textbook definition of an iconoclast – The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Watch and share “Shout, Sister, Shout! Sister Rosetta Tharpe,” Gibson’s tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, featuring Celisse and Amythyst Kiah, which takes viewers on a journey of Sister Rosetta’s monumental impact on music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii06ABCd9ww.

The leading global guitar brand, Gibson continues to shape the sounds of generations of musicians across the globe. Gibson supports the global music community through its philanthropic arm, Gibson Gives. The mission of Gibson Gives is to create, develop, and support non-profit organizations worldwide in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, music, and health and wellness initiatives. 100% of donations to Gibson Gives go towards giving the gift of music.

At Save The Music Foundation, music is core to our national recovery and young people’s mental health. Save The Music is delivering over 15,000 instruments to over 100 school and community projects nationwide for this school year. Donate now to support our efforts.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe:

FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | AMAZON MUSIC

Gibson Gives:

GIBSON GIVES.ORG

Save The Music Foundation:

SAVE THE MUSIC.ORG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK

Gibson:

GIBSON.COM | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | GIBSON TV

About Save The Music:

The Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. For 25 years, Save The Music has addressed the systemic inequities in music education by investing in under-resourced communities across the US – donating school instruments and technology; working as a convener, expert, and catalyst; helping to train and support teachers; and starting and building thousands of new music programs in over 286 school districts nationwide. Learn more at https://www.savethemusic.org.

About the School District of Philadelphia:

The School District of Philadelphia is the largest school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nineteenth-largest public school system in the United States. The School District of Philadelphia, which was recently named a Best Communities for Music Education from The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) for the fourth consecutive year, has more than 220 music educators and more than 50 music community partners. The District’s music education program is highly integrated within the city’s musical heritage and modern landscape, exposing students to music industry and careers, including recording, production, songwriting, DJing and modern band. In 2021, the District developed a student residency program that connects all-star Philly DJs, producers and musicians with the next generation of talent. Students perform alongside their mentor on Monday nights at JG SkyHigh.

About Gibson and Gibson Gives:

Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 128 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, TN, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, KRK, behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro, the founder of effect pedals. Gibson guitars and gear have been played on stage by countless musical icons in every genre of music, and Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Gibson has a strong focus on supporting the global music community through the philanthropic arm of Gibson Gives. The mission of Gibson Gives is to create, develop and support non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused education, music, and wellness initiatives. 100% of all donations to and from Gibson Gives–a 501(c)(3) organization–go towards giving the gift of music. In the last three years, Gibson Gives has raised over $3.5 million dollars worldwide through its mission. For a deeper look inside the history of Gibson, plan a trip to downtown Nashville, to visit the Gibson Garage. At the Gibson Garage—the all-new flagship store–music lovers can experience live performances, design a dream guitar, catch a taping of the award-winning Gibson TV series, and explore Gibson’s music history with captivating, interactive storytelling and memorabilia displays, inside the historic space. The Gibson Garage is the ultimate guitar experience and destination for music lovers in Nashville and across the globe. Learn more at Gibson.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Gibson TV, and Instagram, and download the Gibson App.