“[Many] people make the misconception that Marin is uniformly wealthy, which isn’t true. There are kids who cannot afford [things like] guitars and [music] lessons,” said Holly Hollenbeck, director of the Marin chapter of Guitars not Guns.
Guitars not Guns is a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to helping underprivileged and foster youth learn how to play guitar. The organization offers kids an alternative to negative influences that plague at-risk individuals, aiming to help them develop passions and equip them with tools to express themselves musically.
Operating in 19 states, Guitars not Guns is a nationwide organization. Hollenbeck came across Guitars not Guns, through her friend Miki Sacata, who knew someone who was part of the Contra Costa chapter. When she realized there wasn’t a chapter in Marin, she felt empowered to take matters into her own hands. Despite Marin’s affluent reputation, Hollenbeck has noticed that financial obstacles persist in local youth, which motivated her to create this local chapter.
Hollenbeck and Sacata founded Marin’s branch of the organization with the support of both of their musically talented sons. They soon realized a fundraiser was essential to raise money for equipment since each participant receives a guitar from the organization.
Inspired by the “Battle of the Bands” showcase in San Anselmo and her son’s involvement in a band, Hollenbeck decided to host an event to display the top rock bands in Marin County. All the proceeds from ticket sales and donations went toward purchasing guitars, instrument cases, music stands and other equipment.
Hollenbeck’s son, Walker Hollenbeck, is passionate about music. He plays the guitar, piano, drums and bass. Like his mom, Walker Hollenbeck recognizes the importance of a musical initiative in Marin.
“[Guitars not Guns] is a great opportunity to give back to the community,” Walker Hollenbeck said. “I think a lot of the musicians I go to school with really appreciate the opportunities they have to learn and play music with others. We want to share [this] privilege with others.”
Although Marin’s Guitars not Guns chapter follows in the footsteps of the national organization, Holly Hollenbeck established a unique teen board to manage aspects of the organization to appeal to adolescents. This committee worked to acquire bands for the event along with t-shirts and a logo specific to the Marin chapter. Walker Hollenbeck is a crucial member of this teen board, acting as a co-teacher and junior founder alongside Jacob Pinguelo, the son of Miki Sacata.
“The main idea of the teen board is that we tackle problems that the adults have less of a grasp on, such as social media and networking. Because of our connections to local high school [musicians], we were able to acquire all of the bands for this event,” Walker said.
All Guitars not Guns chapters nationwide follow a standard eight-week curriculum with an advanced eight-week program for those who complete the first. However, Holly Hollenbeck believes 16 weeks is not enough time for students to immerse themselves in their musical journey. She aims to extend the curriculum and also hopes to diversify the program, implementing lessons for kids who want to play instruments besides guitar.
As a nonprofit organization, acquiring guitar teachers who will provide free services is difficult. Director Hollenbeck is looking for volunteer teaching assistants—anyone over 18 years of age with guitar experience—as they only have one instructor and a few student co-teachers. Holly Hollenbeck emphasized the need for more instructors to support the growing program and the value of multiple teachers in each session to connect with each student properly.
“We need at least [one] adult in the room and ideally two or three teen instructors to assist,” Holly Hollenbeck said. “A one-to-three ratio would be fantastic because many of these kids are beginners, but one-on-one attention is the best way to teach.”
The sky seems to be the limit for the Marin chapter under the Hollenbecks’ leadership. Guitars not Guns Marin has already begun to work with Play Marin, which offers after-school sports to children of diverse backgrounds. Holly Hollenbeck believes this partnership will attract more kids to the program by introducing it as an after-school program. This connection will also provide a more permanent teaching space. She is further looking to connect with Canal Community Alliance—an organization that offers many types of services to the Latino community—so that she can provide Spanish-speaking guitar teachers.
Guitars not Guns is building a community where young people can find not only the tools to play music but also a positive path forward.
