Guitar legends to make new history at Municipal
Guitar legends to make new history at Municipal
March 29, 2007
By Stephanie Netherton -
James Burton was 14 years old when he played Municipal Auditorium for the first time. Anxious to take the stage, Burton never felt nervous in front of the 3,000-capacity auditorium. Instead, his love for the guitar eased him onto the stage, gave him confidence and birthed his career.
"I loved playing my instrument so much that I couldn't wait to get out there and do my thing," Burton said. "It was a learning opportunity for me to broaden my musical ability."
Now, Burton is passing on the gift once given to him.
Six hundred Caddo Parish students will perform Sunday with Burton and a surprise special guest for the Kids R Rockin' concert. While the program may not be the highlighted event of the second James Burton International Guitar Festival, it's perhaps the most important.
"It's a payback to what God has blessed me with in my business and my career. There is nothing greater than giving back to the kids," Burton said.
"If one out of five becomes musically oriented and carries on our music, that is a great feeling."
Following the first guitar festival in 2005, the Burton Foundation gave 600 guitars, gig bags, chords and amps to Caddo Parish students. Twenty-six schools in the parish offered lessons to students and have watched the program cultivate confidence in classrooms.
"You're always looking for things that kids are attracted to. It's not necessarily guitar, but school has got to be fun for kids and I think it can be," Lane Hunnicutt, principal of Shreveport's Summerfield Elementary, said.
"School has gotten to the point where it is all business, but we do a lot of things for school to be a nice place for teachers to work and kids to go to class."
Joey Smith is a fifth-grader at Summerfield and has been participating in the guitar program since the beginning of the school year. Since the lessons began, Smith has learned chords, chord progressions, how to keep tempo, strumming patterns, how to play chords down the fret board, the 12 basic notes and more.
"When I play the guitar, I feel right. I like that feeling and I work hard to keep that feeling."
Since the lessons began, Joey has become a straight-A student and says playing has helped him concentrate during classes. His parents, Martic and Christina Smith, have noticed changes, too.
"This is the first hobby that he's had that he picks up on his own," Christina Smith said.
"Everything else we've had to say, 'Go practice, go do this, go do that.'"
Her husband agrees.
"We don't have to tell him to do it. This one he's actually coming up and asking, 'Hey, can you show me something?'"
Joey says playing the instrument gives him a peaceful feeling, and he believes music will always be a part of his life. This school year, Joey was able to meet James Burton at an event for the guitar program. The young student's eyes twinkle when he speaks of his contact with the guitar legend and a wide smile dances across his face.
"Yeah, that was really cool and he, like, said hi to me."
This year, 1,200 guitars will be donated to schools in Caddo and Bossier parishes.
"The children who had trouble concentrating in school are now having to concentrate to learn how to play, and it's helped them with their school work," Louise Burton, wife of James Burton, said.
"James and I did this because we wanted to get the students off the streets and off the computers. This gives them the self-esteem to know they can create for themselves. Not all of the students are going to be superstars, but when they are 50 years old and stressed out with their jobs, they can sit on their patio and play the guitar."
Saturday night's James Burton & Friends Guitar Greats concert is the main fundraiser for the program. This year, 14 artists have donated their time to perform with Burton. All proceeds from the event go toward purchasing guitars.
John Goodman, Steven Seagal, Chris Isaak, Rick Derringer and a variety of Burton's other music-industry friends generously donate their time — only lodging, transportation and food are provided — to perform three to four songs for local fans and raise money for the foundation.
"These are my friends and I'm very honored to be able to pick the phone up to call Steven Seagal, John Goodman and these wonderful musicians," James Burton said.
"It's just a great feeling to pick up the phone and say, 'hey, I need your help.'"
The first festival in 2005 brought in tourists from five countries and 19 states, according to festival chairwoman Janie Landry.
"Because James is from Shreveport, sometimes people have a tendency to overlook his importance to rock 'n' roll and the industry overall," Landry said.
"We get calls from England, Amsterdam and all over the world from people who want to come to this event. It gives Shreveport an opportunity to showcase downtown events, attractions and especially the Municipal Auditorium."
Vilma and Terry Kinny arrived in Shreveport on March 22 for the festival. The couple, from Manchester, England, have never traveled to the United States before, but came in early to help the Burtons prepare for the festival.
The couple befriended Burton during one of his tours in England five years ago.
"He's such a wonderful person and friend," Terry Kinny said.
"What can you say, the music speaks for itself and this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to see our friends and sight-see at the same time."
Burton is excited to bring people from across the world to his hometown.
"I think there is a wonderful history in music and the people here are so nice. We chose to have the concert at the Municipal because of the music history, but we want to create new music history."
However, the Burtons know their mission to reach and inspire area youths can not be done alone.
"We've always said since we've started that the city of Shreveport had to help us," Louise Burton said.
"We believe that a village raises the children. These are our children. These are our next generation and if we don't do good things to help them then we have not done our jobs. Go buy a ticket because that's what buys a guitar."
Much energy,
:apeace:
