Musician Billy Strings Gifts Over 200 Guitars To Students At Former Elementary School

Grammy Award-winning musician Billy Strings returned to his former elementary school and surprised more than 200 students with their own acoustic guitar.  The 29-year-old musician stopped at Twin Rivers Elementary School in Muir, Michigan with a U-HAUL truck filled with brand new guitars.  Strings personally handed out a guitar to each student at the school.

William Apostol, better known as Billy Strings, spoke to the students outside the school via megaphone.  “I used to go to this school when I was your age,” he told the kids, shouting out his music teacher Mrs. Mercer who was in attendance. “She showed me a lot about music, and I started playing guitar and guitar has always been a really cool friend of mine, even when times were really sad the guitar was my friend,” Strings said. “I wanted to give you guys some guitars that you could take home with you!”

Twin Rivers Elementary Principal Paul Frost said  “He sat in the seats my students are sitting in right now.  He’s gone on to have the kind of success he’s had. I think it opens up the possibility for the students here to think- ‘If I work hard toward my dreams, I can achieve those dreams.’ He exemplifies that.  For him to come back, remember us, talk about how important this school was to him when he was a kid, how important the guitar was and give something like that to every one of the kids here is such a meaningful and generous gesture. It was a beautiful thing.”

Strings previously returned to his former elementary school in 2015 to perform live for all the students.  He posted a video of his recent guitar giveaway to instagram “My guitar has always been there for me.  Through good times, bad times and everything in between. The guitar has taken me places that I could only dream of.  My hope is that one of these guitars does the same thing for one of these kids. I look forward to coming back and seeing how these future musicians progress for years to come” Strings said.