Gibson Gives Partnership

GIbson Give FOundation partners with East Texas Performing Arts to bring music to regional youth, "One guitar at a time."East Texas Performing Arts, Inc. (ETPA), a 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(2)nonprofit public charity based in Marshall, Texas, producers of the Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards Festival, is proud to be in partnership with the Gibson Gives Foundation.

The partnership between Gibson Gives (the philanthropic arm of Gibson Brands, formerly the Gibson Foundation, with the motto “Making the world better, one guitar at a time”) and ETPA began in 2023. It supports ETPA’s mission to promote music education, youth development, and the arts in East Texas, particularly through the festival and related community programs.

Key Aspects of the Partnership

  • Instrument Donations and Giveaways: Gibson Gives provides guitars (including Gibson, Epiphone, and Les Paul models), and gig bags, that ETPA distributes to deserving local youth and young adults in the Marshall area. Recipients are often selected via essay contests or recommendations (e.g., from teachers or ROTC). Examples include:
    • A ~$2,000 Gibson acoustic-electric guitar package awarded to a homeschooled student passionate about acoustic guitar.
    • A Les Paul Standard to a high school freshman interested in guitar.
    • An Epiphone guitar (~$400 value) to a dual-enrollment student working as a sound engineer. These giveaways have run for several years (at least into their fourth by 2026) and often include access to lessons at ETPA’s Marshall Fine Arts Academy.
  • Fundraising Support: Gibson donates guitars for auction or other fundraising efforts to directly benefit and help fund the Texas Sounds festival and ETPA’s operations.
  • Broader Community Impact: The collaboration aligns with both organizations’ goals—Gibson Gives focuses on expanding access to music through instruments and programs, while ETPA uses the resources to invest in local youth, foster talent, and sustain its festival and educational initiatives (e.g., classes and children’s events). ETPA has publicly credited the partnership with enabling multiple guitar donations to young recipients, enhancing music access in the region.