For more than 25 years, Muriel Anderson’s All Star Guitar Night (ASGN) has brought together musicians and audiences for an in-person event. Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, this year’s show will be held virtually for the first time on August 29 at 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT). Proceeds from the event will go toward national non-profit Guitar in the Classroom (GITC) and Anderson’s Music for Life Alliance (MFLA), supporting music programs for students in need.
Tickets are available through the All Star Guitar Night website, along with flexible donation options, including a VIP donation with special perks such as a virtual backstage hang with the artists. The show will be broadcast through a special live streaming link to be shared with ticket holders.
ASGN alumni include Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Duane Eddy, Tommy Emmanuel and many other well-known artists. The lineup for the August event includes a mixture of guitarists, award winners, world changers, healers and musical innovators. This includes David Broza, Laurence Juber, Stanley Jordan, Larry Mitchell. Christie Lenée, Rory Block, Andrew York and Alex de Grassi, Vicki Genfan, Makana, Peter Sprague with Fred Benedetti, and Stephen Bennett and the Harp Guitar Orchestra and Muriel Anderson, the acoustic and harp guitarist whose vision and warmth coalesce these gatherings annually.
This year, the ASGN and Music for Life Alliance will be co-presenting the evening with GITC to benefit multiple music programs through MFLA, and to help fund GITC’s 2020 free online classes, teaching artist residencies and instruments for students in need. Martin Guitar, TrueFire, GHS Strings, Fretmonkey Records and ToneWoodAmp are all sponsors of the virtual All Star Guitar Night.
“Music Education requires our full support at this unprecedented time,” Guitars in the Classroom founder and executive director, Jess Baron, explained. “Making music restores students’ spirits, providing a positive focus and an engaging way for students to learn, whether attending classes socially distanced or online. With everyone’s help, our two organizations will be able to reach thousands of at-risk children this year.”
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