History

Changing children’s lives through music since 1999

Lead Guitar’s co-founders, Brad Richter and Marc Sandroff, have led lives shaped by music and the guitar: Brad as a concert artist and composer, Marc as an entrepreneur who credits his career success to his study of classical guitar and the focus, confidence and discipline it gave him. As he traveled for concerts, Brad noticed unstructured school guitar classes that attracted a diverse swath of students popping up across the country. He saw in them the potential to engage disenfranchised students, if only they were designed with the same opportunity and academic integrity of school band and orchestra programs. At the same time, Marc was seeking a way to focus his philanthropic work on using music as a tool to keep kids in school. Lead Guitar was founded as their response.

1999

Brad Richter gives a guitar workshop to talented Diné guitarists at Page HS, AZ…

2000

…who inspired him to return several times to PHS the following year to co-teach guitar class with the school’s choir director.

2001

Brad writes the first LG Method Book to help PHS’s Choir Director teach music reading and technique on guitar in his absence.

"Save this block class for possible pull quotes?"

– Name of person who says quote

2003

Programs established in Sedona & Bullhead City, AZ

2004

Programs begin in Tucson, AZ

“And then it just clicked. I thought, if I can practice the guitar, I can do my homework too” – Macario (High School student)

2005

Brad meets co-founder and long-time Board President Marc Sandroff

2007

501(c)3 organization status is granted and the program Is officially named Lead Guitar

2008

Programs begin in the Roaring Fork Valley, CO In collaboration with Aspen Music Festival and School

2009

Programs begin in Enid, OK

2010

Lead Guitar creates Music First, a K-2 music foundations program. The program was later adopted by the University of Arizona.

2011

First Formal Teachers’ Workshop

“I don’t know how much longer I would have continued at this school if it weren’t for Lead Guitar.” – Michael (Middle School Teacher)

2012

First Arizona-wide Showcase Concert in Holsclaw Hall at the University of Arizona

2013

Brad partners with curriculum author Brian J. Harris to found UpBeat, a hand percussion program based on the LG model and adopted by the University of Arizona

2014

Lead Guitar programs begin in Phoenix and we formally add free in-school concerts by global touring artists to our services to partner schools.

2015

Brad partners with Jory Hancock, Dean of the UA College of Fine Arts, and curriculum author Erika Julian to create Step Up, a dance program based on the LG model

2016

Lead Guitar begins programming in Chicago and receives its first grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts

2017

Programs begin in Mendocino, CA

2018

Lead Guitar develops an Adaptive Method for students in Exceptional Education

“His teacher sent me a video [of him playing the guitar] and I said, are you sure that’s the same kid?... He was amazing! It wasn’t an avenue I would have pursued with him because I just didn’t think he would be interested. It turns out he’s really pretty good!” - Lacey (Parent of a child in LG’s Adaptive Class)

2019

Programs begin in Los Angeles

2020

Lead Guitar premieres a state-of-the-art online learning system to serve students from home during Covid-19

[Lead Guitar connects me with friends in that…] “there may be some tough times but we’re all working on something that we care about. It means a lot for us to work in a community of music-making together.” – Zuriel (High School Student)

Programs begin in Denver, CO

Partnership with Guitar Salon International to create We Are Guitar

2021

Programs begin in Atlanta, GA

Lovell Foundation (Tucson) gives $1M over five years for Strategic National Growth