Orphaned Guitars Find New Life Thanks to Westport Man

"Music is joy, happiness and love all in a neat package."

A beautiful statement from a local man who is making dreams come true by bringing new life to old guitars.

A Small Gesture Inspires Westport Man

It all started during a moment at a ski lodge.

"A friend's son asked to play my guitar. He began to play and to my surprise he was really good. Better than me," said Paul Silvia, founder of Orphaned Guitars. "When he returned the guitar, he stated that he wished he could have a nice guitar like mine. I handed it back to him and said 'Here take it.'"

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In that moment, Orphaned Guitars was born.

The Westport, Massachusetts organization donates guitars to children regardless of income, but goes out of the way to help kids in need.

"Recently we donated nine guitars to a school for kids with social emotional needs. I spent 38 years as a teacher of such kids and I always have a special place in my heart for them," Silvia said.

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The reaction? Priceless.

"Many times its a tear fest. They are crying. We are crying," Silvia said.

How Can I Donate My Guitar?

"Guitars are donated by local musicians who find out by word of mouth or by finding our Facebook page," Silvia said. "Once a guitar is donated, it is repaired if needed, then cataloged and when it's adopted, the person who donated it gets a picture of the child with the guitar."

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No cash is ever exchanged. It's simply a kind gesture.

"My wife and I believe people are good," Silvia said. "We have been blessed with wonderful lives and we love to give back to the community and this, we believe, in a small way, is making the world a better place for everyone."

How Many Guitars Have Been Donated?

Typically, guitars are donated to kids ages seven to 18 and to date, over 500 guitars have been donated since Orphaned Guitars began 14 years ago.

Just recently, Silvia recalled the generosity of on man.

"We just received a donation of 18 guitars. A gentleman heard about us on Facebook and drove three and a half hours to meet with us on the highway to make the exchange," he said.

"As we were unloading them, I was excited to find a five-string bass. We had a young lady on our waiting list for four months hoping for one," Silvia said. "My wife contacted her that moment and she picked up the guitar the next day with her mom.  Amidst tears, she held it and kept saying 'It's so pretty, I can't believe it's mine.'"