Grammy Winner Laurence Juber's Day of GITC Service

Recently, Laurence Juber, master of the guitar, and former guitarist for Paul McCartney's Wings spent a day inspiring and educating the community with us in San Diego. "LJ" made the rounds starting with an early morning visit to the local KUSI Newsroom, to teaching a dazzling master class at Hoover High School, and ending the evening by giving a breathtaking intimate concert for GITC supporters!

With this recent visit, Laurence continues his epic legacy with Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom. He has been instrumental is starting and nurturing GITC since Day One. His life has been all about music, and he embodies character traits teachers hope they can instill in their students. If not for LJ's immense talent, wisdom, integrity, care, and generosity, our organization wouldn't be here today. From encouraging the formation of the work, donating his time and resources, advising me as GITC'S founder, and performing in participating GITC districts and schools for our students, we have him to thank. New ideas need a champion, and he is our Number 1.

Now, please enjoy moments from his stellar Day of Service, nearly 25 years later, as he brightens hundreds of lives in our home community. ​The morning of November 8th started with this very musical interview with LJ and KUSI's warm, perceptive, and undaunted anchorwoman, Lauren Phinney! Thanks to Little Tommy, and C3 Communications for making this interview possible.

After breakfast, we headed to Hoover High School, a dynamic San Diego Unified Title 1 school that. along with strong school spirit and a phenomenal faculty, offers outstanding educational opportunities in the Arts! Collaborating with our district's department of Visual and Performing Arts, we invited every music student at Hoover to join our Hoover Guitar Club students for a brilliant hour of guidance, performance, and conversation. LJ shared about his incredible career, gave insights from music history, and demonstrated and amazed students with his powerful yet delicate guitar interpretations. The big thrills came when he listed the films, television shows, and video games for which he played guitar. We don't know which credit got more astonishment- Pochahontas or Super Mario Brothers! When he shared about his daughter, Ilsey Juber's phenomenal career, and mentioned that she wrote "High Hopes" for Panic at the Disco among many other hits, this put the reality of shaping a modern career in music that much closer.

Now for most of us mere mortals, this might have been enough good deeds done for one day, but not for Laurence. With just a few minutes to spare, he raced to the site of our evening event in Hillcrest at the gorgeous 525 Olive St. Sky Club, and went right into his sound check.  The room filled to capacity, he poured out beautiful energy for the audience, lifting spirits, bringing laughter with his stories, and wonder with his beautiful playing. In a season fraught with election tension, Laurence's kindness and emotional playing restored a sense of peace and balance to the room, elevating everyone's well-being. Please join us in enjoying his touching rendition of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields," the song he told Lauren Phinney is his favorite.

Thank you to Laurence, to our 525 Olive St. hosts at the Sky Club, Marty Goodman and Marcia Bennett of San Diego Social Venture Partners, to Mr. Boertmann at Hoover High School, to Anne Fennell at San Diego Unified's VAPA Department, to the Asian Story Theater for sound and lights, to Juniper Turner and Kent Brisby for running sound, and to our incredible team of volunteers including GITC board members Molly Stewart, and Ruth Haller, Director of Strum & Sing, Dan Decker, and GITC teachers, volunteers and auction angels Lorrin Boyer, Patrice Maller, Myx Swanson, Patti Steele, and Rodney and Joyce Howard. Thank you so much for making this an evening beyond compare!

We are so grateful to the many sponsors who helped us provide our guests with delicious sustenance and wonderful auction items to raise funds for our free programs. You will find their logos in the gallery below!