FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Guitar Center Music Foundation appoints Herb Trawick to its Board of Directors
— Noted music industry figure and founder/co-host of Pensado’s Place joins the GCMF Board —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., May 12, 2023 — The Guitar Center Music Foundation (GCMF), a nonprofit organization focused on granting instruments to music education and music therapy organizations, announces the expansion of its Board of Directors. Herb Trawick, longtime music industry professional and creator and co-host of the popular weekly web series Pensado’s Place, has been appointed to the organization’s leadership body. The announcement was made by David Helfant, Chairman of the Board of Directors at The Guitar Center Music Foundation, and signifies the ongoing growth of the foundation and its Board.
Trawick’s long tenure in the music industry includes time spent as an artist manager and label executive working for such prestigious firms as Interscope, RCA, Mercury, Capitol, Motown, Island and Def Jam. As a manager, Trawick helped launch the career of R&B superstar Brian McKnight. He also collaborated closely with Maurice White, the legendary creator of Earth, Wind & Fire, and as a producer, took the EWF catalog to Broadway for the play Hot Feet. He serves as a sought-after advisor to many brands, executives and institutions. Aside from GCMF, he is part of the boards of the GRAMMYs Black Music Coalition, California Dept of Education Arts, Media and Entertainment coalition, Girls Make Beats, TuneGo, The Fab Factory, Abbey Road Institute Miami, 1500 Sound Academy, The Blackbird Academy and The Trinity Project. In 2010, Trawick began Pensado’s Place alongside the acclaimed producer/engineer Dave Pensado. The program has been immensely successful, seen in 200 countries by 6 to 8 million viewers per year, sharing discussions with some of the music industry’s leading producers, engineers, artists and beyond. Additionally, along with Dave Pensado, Trawick was presented with 2020 TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) Hall of Fame award and was inducted into the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame at the 35th Annual NAMM TEC Awards.
David Helfant, Chairman of the Board of Directors at The Guitar Center Music Foundation, remarked, “Herb is one of the music industry’s true advocates for music education, disseminating vital information through Pensado’s Place and sharing his expertise with top brands, while serving on a number of boards and think tanks. He is among the most knowledgeable and well-connected music industry figures out there today, and we are honored to have him join our organization.”
To learn more, visit http://www.GuitarCenterFoundation.org, or follow @GiveMusicLife on Twitter for more news or to discover ways to support The Guitar Center Music Foundation. Also, follow GCMF on Facebook and Instagram.
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Photo file 1: HerbTrawick.JPG
Photo caption 1: Herb Trawick (photo by Brian A. Petersen)ABOUT THE GUITAR CENTER MUSIC FOUNDATION
The Guitar Center Music Foundation was founded as a 501(c)(3) in 2005. Since its inception, the foundation has placed instruments in the hands of over 300,000 people nationwide through grants to qualifying music education and music therapy programs. The foundation’s mission is to support music education programs nationally by providing those in need with instruments and by advocating for the benefits of music education and music therapy. For more information about The Guitar Center Music Foundation, please visit http://guitarcenterfoundation.org/.ABOUT GUITAR CENTER INC
Guitar Center is the leading retailer of musical instruments, lessons, repairs and rentals in the U.S. With more than 300 stores across the U.S. and one of the top direct sales websites in the industry, Guitar Center has helped people make music for more than 50 years. Guitar Center also provides customers with various musician-based services, including Guitar Center Lessons, where musicians of all ages and skill levels can learn to play a variety of instruments in many music genres, GC Repairs, an on-site maintenance and repairs service, and GC Rentals, a program offering easy rentals of instruments and other sound reinforcement gear. Additionally, Guitar Center’s sister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 250 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors, parents and students, and Musician’s Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. For more information about Guitar Center, please visit guitarcenter.com.CONTACT
Clyne Media | pr@clynemedia.com
The Guitar Center Music Foundation | info@GuitarCenterFoundation.org
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