Our Mission: To provide guitars and lessons to foster children and other youth at risk, regardless of ability to pay. We also provide mentoring of children by inviting professional musicians, teachers, entertainers, producers and other music related professionals speak to the children to make them aware of the opportunities a life in music can provide.

Photo Above: L to R - Keith Boone Director of the Boy's & Girl's Club 1114 Broad 504.309.7952 .jboone@bgcsela - Ray Nelson Founder of Guitars not Guns and Jimmy DiBartolo Director of Southeast Louisiana Boy's & Girl's Clubs.

Guitars not Guns Music Program for foster kids and other deserving children will be starting soon in New Orleans. Call Keith Boone to sign up. 504-309-7952

June 23, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
RE: Guitar Not Guns Program
My 11 year old daughter, Kayla Frederick has attended this guitar program that Mr. Rogers Moore has been operating for at least 1year starting when she was 10years of age. My understanding of the program was that it was meant only for eight weeks of instruction and upon completion each student would get to keep their instrument. Mr. Moore has continued to give his time, experience and resources in order to continue to teach Kayla beyond the initial design of the program. I have continuously brought my daughter to this program every week with exception to a death in my family and hurricane evacuations. She entered this program with no music experience or any ability to read music.
Kayla has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and I needed another way for my daughter to learn how to comprehend, process, and listen to lessons beyond her normal schooling. This program has done exactly that. In the beginning, like many children she was very discouraged by the complexities of learning and playing music. It was a struggle, but with Mr. Moore and his student teachers who were very patient, felt that Kayla had potential and stayed the course with her until it was no longer a struggle. I remember when it happened, she played a song that she learned and heard it as a song and not picking of the instrument and realized, she played a real song and it sounded like one too. From then, Kayla has been strongly enthusiastic to learn more, practice on her own without instruction from me, and has even progressed to a different type of guitar, the electrical. Kayla not only used how she processes the information for music but has attempted to adapt it to regular school with some success. She is no longer a shy child in front of small crowds and regularly wants to show how much she knows. She has learned to read the music sheets, and improve some her mathematical skills- those used in music, and attempts to make-up her own songs.
This program has been wonderful for my child and I have been adamant that she continue to attend so long as Mr. Moore and his program will continue to exist. Mr. Moore is always patient, and always will take suggestions to better improve Kayla’s style of learning and his methods of teaching. Mr. Moore has provided musical booklets for Kayla to take home and practice with, in which she then attempts to learn other songs on her own in addition to that week’s lesson. He has also been the repair person when her little sister broke the strings on her guitar. Her father and I are so very proud of her progress and watch how much confidence it has given her to play the instrument and reading music which neither of us can do. She has developed her own talent with the guitar and it could not have been possible without the Guitars Not Guns Program and Mr. Moore.

Play guitar and be real cool.

Rock it... Don't cock it...!