Signed Blue Rodeo guitar auctioned off for good cause

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/03/2024 (585 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BLUE Rodeo has signed up to make music matter.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame roots-rock group has joined forces with Make Music Matter to raise money for the non-profit’s music-therapy efforts to help survivors of trauma among Indigenous people in Canada.

Make Music Matter is auctioning a gold-coloured Fernandes Sustainer electric guitar that is autographed by Blue Rodeo’s six members: Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, Mike Boguski, Glenn Milchem, Bazil Donovan, Jimmy Bowskill and Colin Cripps, who donated the guitar for the cause.

The bidding began March 1 and will continue until March 10 at 8 p.m. Bids can be made online at wfp.to/guitarauction.

The guitar has been used in the studio by Blue Rodeo as well as Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams, a press release says.

All the proceeds from the sale will go to Make Music Matter’s Health in Harmony program, which has helped more than 14,000 people in war-torn regions of Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine.

It has begun to use its music-therapy methods to help Indigenous people in Alberta who have experienced generational trauma caused by Canada’s residential-school system.

Make Music Matter sets up recording studios and allows those traumatized by violence to write and record songs about their lives.

People have found it easier to use metaphors in lyrics to describe their feelings of what happened to them rather than talking about the events directly, says Winnipeg musician Darcy Ataman, Make Music Matter’s founder and chief executive officer.