The Afghan Guitar Project

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New York-based classical guitarist Colin Davin will be traveling to Kabul in June for his second visit this year to teach at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Among the many needs at the school are a new guitar, appropriate for the more advanced students there, who are playing intermediate level concert repertoire. He has started a crowd-funding campaign to raise the money for a new instrument to take with him, as well as method books, sheet music, and supplies. Here’s more info from Indiegogo:

Armin Kelly of Guitars International, has generously agreed to donate $1,000 toward the purchase of a beautiful Estudio model guitar by German Vazquez-Rubio (http://www.guitarsint.com/detail.cfm/id/202). It is a world-class instrument that approaches a concert virtuoso level, while still falling into the category of a student guitar. Thus, if we can raise the funds here to take advantage of Guitars International’s generous contribution, we need just about $1,500.

The remaining $500 will go toward the purchase of sheet music, method books, and guitar accessories. These range from strings to footstools/guitar supports to instrument care products. Such items are essential to a developing guitarist, and not readily available in Afghanistan.

Under Taliban rule, music was effectively banned in Afghanistan, with most musicians forced to flee the country or change professions. Instruments were destroyed in mock-execution. Any live performance that did occur was highly secretive, and required a lookout to avert the danger of being caught. Music as a crime: an unthinkable concept to many of us, but a reality for years in Afghanistan.

This school represents a sharp turn from that cruel world, a sign of hope for students who have lived through war most of their lives, but who have lived through it with an outlook of ambition, and a strong desire to learn and improve their homeland. ANIM is also notable for its work with orphanages (about half of the students are orphans) and for enrolling a significant number of female students (who were not allowed any opportunity for education under the old regime).

Great things have already happened at this school, including a recent concert tour of the Afghan Youth Orchestra through New York’s Carnegie Hall and Washington DC’s Kennedy Center. But great needs and challenges remain, and together we can make this small contribution to greatly improve the situation of the guitar studio there.

Please consider making a donation at the following link: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-afghan-guitar-project/x/250305