ReTune Nashville

I am extraordinarily honored to be participating in the ReTune Nashville project.  For those of you that haven't heard, ReTune is a non-profit formed to aid uninsured musicians who experienced losses during the flood.  "How do they plan to do this?" you may ask.  Well, by collecting ruined instruments from musicians all over Middle Tennessee, sanitizing them (that flood water was NASTY!) and redistributing them to local artist to turn into visual art pieces to be auctioned off.  I was lucky enough to be accepted to participate with the likes of Manuel (yes the fancy, rhinestone, cowboy suit guy), Jason Lascu,  & folk artist Bebo, as well as some personal favorite of mine, Jeff Bertrand & Jessica Hill!  This by no means a complete list of artists, but this is!  I am excited and more than a little bit daunted to be in the company of such well known and talented folks, here's hoping that I don't embarrass myself!
I am still hard at work on a piece entitled, "Shattered, but Unbroken" involving the remains of a mandolin, an octave of piano keys, some bass strings and some bits of a couple of violins.  While it was heartbreaking to sift through the rubble of other people's lives when selecting these items, seeing all of the potential and knowing that so many people were lining up to help made my heart swell with pride!  I love this town, it's rich musical history and our volunteer spirit!
Speaking of volunteer spirit, ReTune could use everyone's help spreading the word about their cause and the upcoming art auctions.  They're also still looking for sponsors for the event so if you or someone you know could help out in that capacity, please go here.  Tickets for the event have gone on sale, here, so go get you a few and come see what is sure to be a fantastic night of live performance and gorgeous art for a fabulous cause.

To give you a taste, the video  below is from artist Randy Purcell who has made some truly stunning pieces of functional art!