“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away,”
Words from Pablo Picasso continue to resonate in the mind of county resident John Bland.
From work within the community to combating cancer, Bland has continued to keep a song in his heart, and recently had the opportunity to pass the fire along to area youth.
Music filled the air Friday evening as students part of the inaugural guitar group at the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County performed four songs for friends and family members.
From day one until the Christmas conclusion, Bland served as the teacher for the class that featured four Club students: Voneé, Mandy, Seth and Morty.
“I can’t say enough about their work ethic,” Bland said. “They were excited since the first day. They knew it would take a lot of work and they gave it their all and were able to perform four Christmas songs.”
Since August, the Club was able to receive a donation of several Fender guitars from a local businessman and Carter County Commissioner Charles Von Cannon. Von Cannon, who was on hand for the concert Friday, joked that while his guitar prowess may be a bit rusty, he commended the work of the Club and Bland’s service to the community.
“John has overcome so much and still continues to give back,” Von Cannon said. “He always has a smile on his face and does what he can for everyone. You couldn’t ask for a better place than the Club and John as an instructor.”
Ginny Wright, director of the Club, joined students during the concert and took to the drums for the final song, “The Little Drummer Boy.”
“John Bland has given an incredible gift to our kids by starting this guitar program,” Wright recently told the Elizabethton Star. “He’s not only fostering the kids’ creativity, but he’s showing them that invested community leaders care about their future.”
To cap off the night, Bland presented Voneé, who was deemed the outstanding student of the year for the guitar group, with a brand new Yamaha 350 Standard Acoustic set. Voneé  was presented with a new guitar, gig bag and extra string thanks to Yamaha Guitars and Jeff Hashbarger with Jeff’s Morrell Music out of Kingsport.
“I can’t say enough about each of the students, but Voneé  was there every day and progressed so far,” Bland said. “When I talked about next year’s class, she fired right up and volunteered to be my assistant. When you have children like Voneé  and the rest, that take this so seriously, you can’t help but love it.”
Bland thanked Hashbarger and Yamaha for their donation.
“This is not out of the ordinary for Jeff and Yamaha Guitars,” Bland said. “Jeff is so community-oriented and has done a lot to help us out. He was busy at the Kingsport office, that’s the only reason why he wasn’t able to make it. Having this opportunity available to our children really gives them something to strive for, and we appreciate their efforts in getting this guitar package. To see the smile of Voneé’s face … it was incredible.”
And with a laundry list of support for the first year, the goal moving forward is to expand the program and keep the interest going for area children.
“There’s nothing better than giving children the opportunity to do something they’re passionate about,” Bland said. “The Club offers so much to the community and it has been a joy to offer this class. I’m really looking forward to next year. We’re going to look at opening up registration around the same time next year.”
The Club also has a bevy of projects on tap for the coming year. To learn more, visit the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County Facebook page or visit the facility during regular business hours.