Guitar donors find grateful children in Asbury Park

By CLARE MARIE CELANO
Correspondent

Karen High is doing what she does best — giving away guitars to young musicians who need them.

High, who founded The Project Matters and serves as its executive director, seeks to further the creation of music, with an emphasis on aspiring musicians age 21 and younger.

High and her husband, Bill, of Freehold Borough, lost their son Benjamin, 19, in 2007. The couple are honoring the memory of their son, who died from a heart condition, by taking Benjamin’s love of music and helping young people achieve their musical dreams.

Since its inception in 2010, The Project Matters has received donated guitars and has supported bands crossing the genres of indie rock, pop, Americana and stadium rock. Fundraising has allowed the organization to provide musicians with instruments, instrument repair, studio time and other assistance, according to High.

To date, The Project Matters has received 30 guitars and given away 22. High recently donated guitars to children at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park.

She has partnered with Jon Leidersdorf, the owner of Lakehouse Music Academy, Asbury Park, who came up with the idea of donating guitars to All Stars, which is the after-school program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Children participate in activities such as arts and crafts and robotics, but until now music was not an option.

High reached out to Leidersdorf to find recipients for several of the nine guitars that were donated to The Project Matters by Cordoba, a guitar manufacturer.

“Jon suggested we give the guitars to Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s after-school program and add guitar as one of the programs being offered,” she said.

The Lakehouse Music Academy is providing a guitar instructor.

Connie Isbell Nathanson coordinates the after-school program through the nonprofit Friendship Train Foundation.

Guitar instruction began in September and now nine fifth- through seventh-graders are learning music.

High said, “It remains to be seen if the children in the beginner class will move up. We can offer an intermediate class if they become proficient enough. The hope is that the program will grow and we will get more guitars donated from Cordoba to keep the program going.”

High said she is grateful for the work done by The Project Matters board members because it was through their efforts that the guitars from Cordoba were acquired.

“Seeing the class in person and seeing the guitars in the hands of these amazing kids is really heartwarming,” she added.

Young musicians who are interested in applying for a guitar may contact Karen High at karen@theprojectmatters.org.