Folksinger Michael Johnathon has called upon music communities throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and beyond - along with his faithful worldwide WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour community - and they are responding. Still being mobilized and organized, the WoodSongs’ Tornado Relief Effort is thankful for the support from Martin Guitar Company, who will donate guitar strings for donated guitars needing replacements. Additional brand alliances are still being organized and ongoing, with more information being updated at WoodSongs.com/Tornado
 
Currier’s Music World in Richmond, Kentucky is functioning as the main redistribution point for the program, and will assist in shipping coordination of donated instruments to those musicians who resided in the tornado’s path. The program was recently featured by WKYT-TV and the Richmond Register. The general public is asked to direct ship any instrument donations directly to Currier’s Music World, with "WoodSongs Tornado Relief Effort" marked on the packaging.
 
Additional regional drop-off locations for the general public to make donations of working musical instruments have been set up in Nashville at The Mandolin Store, in Louisville at Mom’s Music, in Bowling Green at Musician’s Pro Music Store, and in Jeffersonville, Indiana at Maxwell’s House of Music and in metro Washington D.C. at House of Musical Traditions. Music stores wishing to participate should email radio@woodsongs.com.
 
WoodSongs’ Tornado Relief Effort will replace damaged or lost musical instruments for FREE for any person or organization affected by the recent tornados which devastated communities throughout Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee. WoodSongs is a 501c(3) non-profit association based in Lexington, Kentucky.
 
Johnathon explained the reason for the program’s creation on his YouTube channel recently, and has called for the immediate need to restore music and art to those affected by the tornado devastation.
 
“I believe that love is the greatest transaction of the arts, it drives everything we do, everything we create and everything we feel,” Johnathon said. “This is a time to put our politics, opinions and divisions aside and be loving neighbors to those in real, actual need. Let’s not underestimate the comfort music and art can bring to families and neighbors in a time of great loss.”
 
IF YOU LIVE IN THE TORNADO ALLEY and need an instrument replaced, send an email to radio@woodsongs.com and we will assist you. Make sure you put TORNADO in the subject heading, include the instrument you are looking for, an address it can be sent to, your name, phone number, and other contact information.
 
IF YOU HAVE AN INSTRUMENT YOU CAN DONATE, send an email to radio@woodsongs.com if you are not close to one of the drop-off locations. Make sure you include TORNADO in the subject heading, describing what you have, and include all your contact information. OR, package and self-ship to Currier’s Music World in Richmond, Kentucky.
 
INSTRUMENT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
 
Richmond, Kentucky:
Currier’s Music World
292 S 2nd St.
Richmond, KY 40475
(859) 623-6010
 
Bowling Green, Kentucky:
Musician’s Pro Music Store
1440 Campbell Ln. Suite 300
Bowling Green, KY 42104
(270) 842-2433
 
Louisville, Kentucky:
Mom’s Music
1900 Mellwood Ave
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 897-3304
 
Nashville, Tennessee:
The Mandolin Store
907 Rivergate Parkway, Suite A4
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
(623) 933-8319
 
Jeffersonville, Indiana:
Maxwell’s House of Music
1710 E 10th St
Jeffersonville, IN 47130
(812) 283-3304
 
Washington D.C.:
House of Musical Traditions
7010 Westmoreland Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(301) 270-9090