Y’all already know we’re huge followers of Sweetwater over right here. Their customer support is the sort of southern hospitality that almost all huge retailers can solely dream of — educated, real, and downright private. However this yr, Sweetwater is doing an entire lot extra than simply serving to musicians get the best gear. They’re serving to children get entry to any gear in any respect.
Sweetwater simply introduced an expanded partnership with the Save The Music Basis for the 2025–2026 faculty yr, and it’s the sort of backstage hero transfer we like to see.
Collectively, they’re working to convey music schooling to public faculties throughout the nation, with Sweetwater stepping up in a significant solution to ship almost 30 J Dilla Music Know-how Grants — each full of a whole lot of devices, beat-making stations, DJ gear, and sound engineering gear. That’s not only a classroom perk… that’s a full-blown recording lab for the subsequent era of music makers.
From Fort Wayne to Music Metropolis (and past)
In case you’re questioning the place these grants are touchdown, the listing reads like a biggest hits album of American cities: Nashville, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Detroit, LA County, and lots extra. Sweetwater’s group isn’t just warehousing the gear — they’re additionally providing reductions, waiving delivery charges, and dealing with logistics so Save The Music can stretch each greenback additional and attain extra college students than ever earlier than.
This collaboration builds on final yr’s effort that reached 42 faculties — and this time round, it’s going even greater.
A Music Tech Revolution in Public Faculties
In case you’re not acquainted with the J Dilla Music Tech Grant, allow us to catch you up: it’s named after the long-lasting producer and designed to present college students actual hands-on expertise with music creation. Which means making beats, operating soundboards, spinning tracks, and studying the ins and outs of recent audio manufacturing.
And right here’s the kicker — 82% of scholars who’ve been by this system say they’re now serious about a music-related profession. That’s enormous. Even higher? Academics are reporting higher attendance and extra engagement at school. That’s the sort of influence you possibly can’t measure in decibels alone.
Why This Issues to Nation Followers
We discuss lots in regards to the subsequent wave of nation stars round right here — those chopping their enamel in dive bars and songwriter rounds. However a few of them are nonetheless in center faculty music class proper now, studying to loop a beat or EQ a vocal.
This partnership isn’t nearly gear. It’s about giving these future legends an opportunity to get began.
Sweetwater’s Jeff Ostermann stated it greatest: “We’re proud to help the J Dilla Music Tech program as soon as once more with each grant funding and our distinctive potential to supply music tech gear, one-of-a-kind customer support, and superior logistics help to make sure faculties throughout the nation are serving to their college students make stunning music this yr.”
How You Can Assist
Need to see your hometown faculty get one among these grants subsequent yr? Head over to savethemusic.org to study extra, donate, or get entangled.
And in the event you’re searching for gear your self — whether or not it’s your first acoustic or your fiftieth mic — contemplate giving Sweetwater your small business. Not simply because they’ve bought nice costs and legendary service, however as a result of they’re serving to form the way forward for music one cargo at a time.
