TRANSFORMING DECOMMISSIONED GUNS TO MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS & SUPPORTING STRONG SAFE SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS.
There are more firearms in the United States than humans beings. Over 389 million are in the hands of everyday citizens, twice the number in the possession of every law enforcement and military in the world. Of this number, hundreds of thousands that are no longer wanted, deactivated or decommissioned. Unless they are disposed of properly, they are susceptible to fall into the wrong hands and used in violent crimes.
Simultaneously, due to lack of funds for the arts, there aren’t enough musical instruments to support a national K-12 music program – giving kids an opportunity to be apart of something bigger than themselves. Studies have shown that schools with music programs have higher attendance and graduation rates and lower incidents of violence than those without.
https://www.armoryofharmony.com/
We caught up with Richard Gibbs, Founder as well as Board of Directors member, Mike Gormley.
RICHARD GIBBS, FOUNDER
Film and television composer (Say Anything, Dr Dolittle, The Simpsons, Battlestar Galactica). Former member of Oingo Boingo. Owner of Woodshed Recording, recording home for U2, Barbra Streisand, Chance The Rapper and Coldplay. Founding member of the Malibu Cultural Arts Commission.
MIKE GORMLEY
Journalist, record company executive (A&M, Mercury Records), artist manager, music supervisor for TV and films and marketing/PR advisor. Worked with The Bangles, Oingo Boingo, Rod Stewart, Rush, The Police, Supertramp and many others. Established and taught the UCLA Extension’s continuing education program called “The Insider’s Guide to Music Management.”
President of L.A. Personal Development, director of Ombience, a center that provides aid to musicians. Past president of the Conference of Personal Managers and board member of L.A. Women in Music. Past member of the Management/Legal Advisory Committee for AFTRA. On the board of Music Manager’s Forum U.S. and past board member and secretary of the Folk Alliance International and it’s executive committee.
Stay tuned for more charitable events through the Armory of Harmony. Their efforts will continue during these unprecedented times and secure more valuable musical instruments for school programs.
