Volunteer Guitar Connection (VGC) is a volunteer group set up in 2004 with the objective of bringing “live” music to beneficiaries, sharing with them the joy of music-making. We conduct guitar lessons (strum-and-sing) for volunteers from different volunteer welfare organisations who wish to learn the skill to play for their beneficiaries. Our members consist of volunteers (currently about 70) from different volunteer agencies, ranging from elderly, youth, health & community and disabled sector, coming together to learn and share guitar music.

Ever wonder how music can impact the lives of your beneficiaries? Whether to an elderly, an autistic child, an intellectually challenged beneficiary, music is possibly the best media to open them up before further interaction.

The primeval language of beat and rhythm Music is an universal “language” .. Pick up a drum or a guitar ... combine the rhythmic strumming of an acoustic guitar with the beat of a drum or a percussion, and before you know it .. you are making music!!

An oldie can inspire memories once thought forgotten by the elders... the rendition of folks songs never fail to reach-out to children who are intellectually challenged...

Teaching music to the less privileged

GUITAR.MUSIC.JOY

Events ... Performances ... Since 2004, we have conducted more than 100 free performances for beneficiaries and also paid performances for non-charity organisations, to raise funds for the projects that we are embarking on. Our performances range from charity events, performances during festivals, providing music during beneficiaries outings, camps (MINDS MYG ACID camp), strum-and-sing sessions, Chinese New Year “carolling” (to elders at Kreta Ayer area) etc.

In 2007, VGC started to embark on projects to directly outreach to the less privileged in the society. We started teaching guitar to teenagers diagnosed with cancer under the “Make a Wish” project. One such teenager, after recovering from cancer, is helping out on performances. In this way, beneficiaries are not only on the receiving end, but are able to contribute back to society and share with others. Sunbeam Place (Children's Society) is VGC's first group project initiative where we teach guitar music to a target group of 12 teenagers (9-14). We hope that through music, these less privileged kids will be able to pick up a life-enriching skill, gain self confidence, express themselves better and in future, learn to care for others and eventually join the path of volunteerism through VGC’s networks.

We welcome you Our regular lessons are conducted (venue to be advised) on alternate Fridays from 7:30 to 9:30pm. We welcome volunteers who are interested to learn guitar-playing for your beneficiaries. Whether or not you have background in music, you are welcome to join us. Volunteers who can play the guitar are also welcome to join us in our lessons, performance events or projects.

Recruitment 2011 - For volunteers who are interested, beginner guitar sessions will start 25th March 2011 (Friday, 7:30pm) for 8 consecutive Fridays (venue will be informed when your registration is confirmed) and thereafter for every alternate Fridays. Registration ends 4th March 2011 If you are interested to join us, please visit our blogsite at:

Recruitment 2011 ...

In 2010, we started our second group outreach project at APSN Tanglin, where we teach music to a group of students who have mild intellectual disability background. After half a year of guitar classes, they are already contributing back by performing for elderly beneficiaries and conducted concerts for APSN and other affiliated schools. Some of the students even became ad-hoc guitar teachers, sharing the joys of guitar learning with the children from Sunbeam Place. In Jan 2011, we have started our 3rd group outreach project at Ahuva Good Shepherd, Marymount Centre (The centre provides nurturing and safe residential care to girls aged between 4 and 16 years old, coming from single parent families or from families in which parents are not able to cope with the child and/or where they could have experience abuses.

http://volunteerguitarconnection.wordpress.com/join-us/ and fill up the online registration form and we will get back to you soon