Colquitt County Arts Center

By Eric Foster-Whiddon, CCAC Guitar Instructor.  Courtesy of The Moultrie Observer.

Have you ever seen the look on a child’s face when he or she discovers something new and fascinating? There are few things more rewarding than watching a child’s horizons broadened through learning. Take that excitement and couple it with the thrill of a newfound talent, throw in a little self-discovery and a whole lot of fun and you have the recipe that keeps me teaching guitar lessons!

Just over a year ago, I began my partnership with the Arts Center with a few small classes. As the program has expanded, we have seen some amazing things happen. With the help of Home Depot and some dedicated friends, an old classroom was transformed from a storage space into a House of Blues-inspired guitar studio. Come almost any afternoon to the Arts Center and you will see dozens of budding guitarists waiting in the hall for guitar lessons. Watch out, Nashville — Moultrie is building an army of guitar-pickers!

The Colquitt County Arts Center makes the creative discovery process possible for hundreds of music, art, theatre, language and dance students. However, there are countless boys and girls in our community for whom a weekly visit to the Arts Center will not work within the context of their lives. To help fill this gap, the Arts Center has afterschool community outreach programs that take these creative disciplines to children throughout our county. I am excited to partner with this effort by adding a guitar and percussion class to the afterschool program beginning in November. I cannot wait to see more children get excited as they make new discoveries and uncover hidden talents!

The children I will be teaching do not have access to the instruments necessary for this class. On their behalf, I am scouring our community for donations of guitars and percussion instruments that I can take with me every week for them to use. Do you have a guitar in your closet that hasn’t been touched in years? Consider donating it to the Arts Center for this program. We can utilize guitars of any type or size — acoustic, electric, full-sized, child-sized, new or old. I can even repair guitars that are slightly damaged. Younger students will learn basic rhythm using tambourines, bells, shakers and hand-drums, so donate your old jangly noise-makers for good use!

If you do not have an old guitar but would like to contribute to this cause, consider donating $90 for a new full-size acoustic-electric guitar or $50 for a child-size guitar. Checks should be made to the Colquitt County Arts Center and designated for the afterschool guitar outreach. Any contribution made to the Arts Center is tax deductible.

We have a wonderful community and an Arts Center that reflects our people well. Thanks in advance for helping us take this gift outside of the confines of our campus to our neighbors and friends.