Are your dreams of becoming the next Jimi Hendrix tucked away in a cupboard collecting dust?
One man’s vision, along with his supporting wife, amazing connections and generous donors is changing the lives of people across the world through an initiative called Noteworthy.
Approaching the two-year anniversary of Noteworthy, The Bridge caught up with Don Hearn to hear about the project’s progress.
“There’s been a lot of behind the scenes work happening, contacting people and building networks,” said Don.
“We’ve had an incredible response. There has been well over 20 guitars donated just within a 50-kilometre radius of Koondrook Barham.
“It’s mind blowing; the people have been so generous in the local areas from Barham, Koondrook and Kerang.”
The guitars go through a refurbishment program as Don lovingly restores, cleans and restrings the instruments to go on to provide an opportunity for those who may not have had the chance any other way.
“People can donate or get on the Noteworthy website and buy a t-shirt. The money raised from the purchase of a t-shirt means that I can purchase new strings and restore the guitars.
“The more t-shirts we sell, the more strings we can buy, the more guitars we can restore, then the more guitars finished, complete, beautiful guitars that we can then give away to someone who normally couldn’t afford to buy one for themselves.
“We’re just sharing the love of live music around everywhere and it’s such a simple thing, but it makes such a big, big difference to the life of someone.”
The guitars donated so far have touched the lives of many people, including a refugee recently released from detention and soon in the hands of indigenous youth through the Jimmy Little Foundation.
“Their aim is to get musical instruments into indigenous communities in Australia and they’re also branching out into nutritional education as well.
“This current batch of guitars will be picked up this weekend and will end up in Redfern in Sydney by Buzz Bidstrup.”
Graham ‘Buzz’ Bidstrup is a successful Australian musician and songwriter who was a member of the Angels, the Party Boys and Gang Gajang. He was also the CEO of the Jimmy Little Foundation from 2005 to 2015.
“He will be conducting a music school in Redfern. I think it’s going to be a week-long music school and then the guitars will either remain in Redfern or they’ll end up going up to Darwin and then being flown up to a little island called Milingimbi, which is off the coast of the Gulf.”
Locals like Lindsey Chapman have found great joy in donating guitars.
“We had these guitars for nearly 20 years while we were on the farm in Gonn Road and you get to a point I don’t know where they come from either.
“I thought, now is the time to get rid of them and I think it’s an exceptionally worthy cause.
“Don kept me informed where the guitars were going, which was really nice.
“One was going overseas and I think the latest one is going to an Aboriginal community.”
Noteworthy has also been added to the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) as a guitar supplier. The ACMF also assists in providing guitars to youth in detention.
If you would like to donate or find out more, head along to noteworthy.net.au.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 20 April 2023.
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