Follower Friday: Gregg Hammond
The realization flushed over him like the rock of a crescendo.
Surrounded by trees, sky, grass, and his own thoughts for 96 hours, he had completed his vision quest, a spiritual actualization practice as ancient as nomadic life.
He discovered what some people go their whole life without: his calling.
Guitars Not Guns isn’t just the name of the organization Foggy Bottom native Gregg Hammond has become part of—it is the chorus of his mind set.
Hammond grew up as a troubled youth, coming from a broken home, with no outlet for his potential. His epiphanic experience allowed him to connect the dots in his life, and affirm that helping at-risk youth grow self-esteem would fulfill the emptiness he felt working in construction.
Since 1992, Hammond has been providing free guitar lessons to at-risk youth in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Although students flux in and out, those who apply themselves enough to pass a crafted benchmark are given a guitar free-of-charge.
This is Hammond’s method of giving kids something productive to do, to prevent them from getting into trouble in their spare time.
[Photo courtesy of Gregg Hammond.]
“It is rewarding for me to see the changes in kids who don’t have a lot of self-esteem,” Hammond said.
Obtaining self-esteem is something Hammond believes helps youth avoid the pressures of gangs and other hooliganisms.
Hammond has bigger visions for the future of his philanthropy, including hopes to recruit celebrity singers to accompany his students, and the world, in a song he co-wrote.
“Music has the capability to bring people together,” Hammond said. “If I could get people around the world playing the same song at the same time, I think there would be a vibration on the planet to where there’s spiritual change.”
According to Hammond, he recently got a hold of Paul McCartney’s manager. The former Beatle donates to numerous charities every year, and Hammond hoped to get permission to have his students play with McCartney when he performed his concert in DC.
Unfortunately, production cannot be messed with once it’s begun. Hammond said McCartney’s manager adored the idea, but could not allow it because the tour was already underway.
As a performer, Hammond said he understood the reasoning. Maybe next time.
Ahead for Hammond is a memoir he is writing about his life. There is no expected completion date because Hammond spends most of his time teaching guitar to his students, but assures that he will keep truckin’ on.
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
romaincrisis
discoholicmusic
tangentwithtanner
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
origamiaround