Barbara Gorin has dedicated 19 years of volunteering for the National non-profit Guitars not Guns. Joining in June 2006, has taught free guitar lessons to hundreds of children, and when she met Jay Kirkland, he immediately signed up in April 2010. Together, they have helped organize countless fundraisers with other dedicated volunteers to bring the gift of music to deserving children.
Guitarsnotguns.org - SEE THE FULL STORY HERE:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/barbara-gorin-east-bay-nonprofit-guitars-not-guns/
BARBARA GORIN WAS NOMINATED AND SELECTED BY A PANEL OF JUDGES TO BECOME THE RECIPIENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS CBS NEWS BAY AREA ICON AWARD
A NOTE FROM BARBARA: I am thrilled to share that I have been selected to receive the prestigious CBS News Bay Area ICON Award for my 19 years of tireless dedication and volunteer service to Guitars Not Guns Contra Costa County. This outstanding recognition will be featured in a KPIX CBS San Francisco Bay Area news story,
2025 - Barbara Gorin has been nominated and selected to receive the prestigious CBS NEWS BAY AREA ICON AWARD for her volunteer work and dedication to the National 501(c)3 Non Profit Children's Music Charity, Guitars not Guns. Barbara is a member of the Executive National Board and is the Director of the Contra Costa County California Chapter and leads a team of volunteers who make this program possible to teach free guitar lessons to at risk youth and foster kids.
Following the initial airing on KPIX5, the story will be posted on the CBS News Bay Area ICON awards page on the KPIX Channel 5 San Francisco, CA KPIX5 website, accessible at kpix.com/icon. @highlight #honor #awards #musiccharity #kidsmusic #guitar #guitarplayer #futurerockstar
The Breedloves interview on ZIP TRIPS - KTVU CHANNEL 2 Fox - Andre Senior, Barbara Gorin & Jay Kirkland discuss Guitars not Guns non profit children’s music charity.
see interview here: https://youtu.be/6m4X2uSFgGI?feature=shared
The Breedloves perform the Danville Summerfest in Downtown Danville, CA and was filmed performing live on TV!
The Breedloves performed at the West End Celebration and was captured performing live on TV, Sand City - Monterey, CA
The Breedloves performed at the West End Celebration and was captured performing live on TV, Sand City - Monterey, CA
Pictured: Jay Kirkland, and Barbara Gorin - Barbara Gorin honored with the People's Choice Award by Digital Literary Arts - Non Profit - Volunteer work with Guitars not Guns, 501(c)3 Non non-profit organization
Barbara Gorin 2009 Honoree - Diablo Magazine Threads of Hope
Barbara Gorin gushes about Guitars Not Guns with the kind of enthusiasm most rock fans reserve for front-row concert tickets. The Diablo resident volunteers for the Contra Costa chapter of a national program that offers free guitars and lessons to kids in poor neighborhoods.
"On the first day of class, the students sign a contract that says they will take care of the guitar, that they will practice and come to all the classes, and that they’ll return the guitar," she says. Eight weeks later, they’re playing a three-chord song, "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door," at graduation. "To see them play together is a joy, but it’s not the best part. The best part is when they find out they get to keep the guitar."
Sitting in Walnut Creek’s Red House Live music studios, Gorin, 47, strums an Ovation acoustic. She is one of two women in a room filled with guys armed with electric axes. Gorin has recruited many of the rockers to volunteer as instructors for Guitars Not Guns’ classes in Martinez and Richmond.
"See Andrew, the guy in the Zoso T playing the Strat?" Gorin says, pointing at a 17-year-old De La Salle student who’s wailing away on "Black Dog." "He just saw his first class graduate."
Gorin grew up in Maryland and has practiced guitar on her own for most of her life, but never thought about playing in a band or teaching. That all changed when she ran into Frank Darling, the president of Guitars Not Guns’ California chapter, selling a CD of music by the program’s graduates at a booth at the Walnut Festival.
"Barbara asked if she could help—literally—right away," says Darling. "She took a stack of CDs out into the crowd and came back a few minutes later with a stack of cash."
Gorin started teaching and spending countless hours raising money and collecting donated instruments. She even tracked down the managers of rock legends Heart and Blondie—both of whom donated guitars signed by the bands to sell on eBay.
Clearly, Gorin’s enthusiasm has an effect on everyone around her—the Guitars Not Guns staff, the Red House Live jammers, and, most important, the kids picking up a guitar for the first time.
"I see how much fun she’s having, and it makes me want to have fun playing music, too," says Rochelle, a 13-year-old Guitars Not Guns graduate from Pleasant Hill. —Peter Crooks
To volunteer for or donate to Guitars Not Guns, go to guitarsnotguns.org.
https://www.napasonomamagazine.com/threads-of-hope/article_027bd9d5-5622-511b-a8ad-5467d40c0fc5.html
https://www.grandviewindependent.com/richmond-musician-wins-award-for-work-with-at-risk-youth/
Richmond musician Barbara Gorin has won the CBS News Bay Area Icon Award for her work with Guitars Not Guns, an organization that brings music into the lives of at-risk children.
The CBS Bay Area Icon Award honors local community heroes who provide outstanding service in their community.
Gorin, president of the Contra Costa chapter of Guitars not Guns, provides music lessons and organizes fundraisers and events to ensure foster children and at-risk youth can learn to play an instrument.
Guitars Not Guns is a non-profit organization that provides free guitars and lessons to foster children, at-risk youth, and others ages 8 to 18. The organization operates programs in 12 states, with 19 chapters, and according to its website, has brought music education to 4,964 children over the last 12 years.
Gorin splits her time between volunteering with the organization and performing for audiences up and down the state as part of the Breedloves acoustic duo alongside her bandmate and partner Jay Kirkland.
Gorin has volunteered with Guitars Not Guns for almost twenty years, inspiring Kirkland to join her. Together, they have worked to put guitars in the hands of kids who otherwise would not have been able to afford musical instruments and lessons.
Grandview IndependentLinda Hemmila
"I’m very honored to be selected for this prestigious award; I’ve been volunteering since June 2006, 19 years!" Gorin said. "When I met Jay in 2010, he signed up to volunteer immediately and has been by my side for 15 years."
According to Gorin, Kirkland, who grew up in Richmond, credits music with saving his life. "He knows firsthand what music has done for his life and how it saved him from destructive behaviors," Gorin said.
"When we can provide the gift of music for free to children in our community, in addition to teaching them how to play the guitar, we also teach responsibility by taking care of the guitar, accountability by practicing, and reliability by
coming to classes," Gorin said.
The Contra Costa County chapter of "Guitars not Guns" hosted an open house in Concord Monday, October 2, 2203 for those interested to learn more about the non-profit organization, which provides lessons to foster kids and at-risk youth.
Executive National Board Member, and Contra Costa County Director, Barbara Gorin and VP Special Projects, Jay Kirkland discussed Guitars not Guns open house which was held at the Concord, CA Library. Keep Music Alive celebrated the 8th Annual Kids Music Day at Over 1,100 locations and offered a special event that benefited kids playing music between Sept 30 and Oct 9.
Barbara and Jay discuss the event and the program and perform their original song, “A Night In the Mission.”
KTVU Channel 2 LIVE in the studio
Live in KTVU Channel 2 Studios
KRON 4 News Interview - October 2, 2023
https://www.kron4.com/video/guitars-not-guns-event-in-concord/9048739/
Jay Kirkland and Barbara Gorin interviewed on KRON 4 NEWS talking about Guitars not Guns
The Breedloves Jay Kirkland and Barbara Gorin featured in "Your Tow" magazine promoting LIVE music in Downtown Walnut Creek, CA
Breedloves GNG chapter Gets the attention of the ATF!
Sparked by our initiative to help Fosters kids and at- risk youth, the ATF directors pay a visit to our guitar class in session!
Antioch Graduation March 8, 2023
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY TIMES - GUITARS NOT GUNS GRADUATION
Barbara Gorin is the Director of the Contra Costa County Chapter of Guitars not Guns. Jay Kirkland is the VP of Special Projects. Together, along with other wonderful volunteers teach free guitar lessons in an 8 week program throughout Contra Costa County. Check out the on line article here:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/03/09/guitars-not-guns-volunteers-turning-kids-into-musicians/
The Breedloves performed at several Palm Springs venues and caught up with David Elman for an interview on his YouTube channel. Please check out the interview and “subscribe” to his channel. #davidofthedesert
The Breedloves are excited to have been chosen to perform on April 13, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. on the Hilton Main Stage as part of "BANDS AT NAMM 2023"
IT'S ALSO BARBARA's BIRTHDAY!
https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2023/session/breedloves
Each year, thousands of artists submit their material for the opportunity to perform at the NAMM show. Only a handful are selected and The Breedloves are super excited!
https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2023/session/breedloves
"A Night In The Mission" was released and now available for download on December 25, 2020, Christmas Day - Jay Kirkland wrote this song in honor of his good friend Richard Segovia, aka The Mayor of the San Francisco Mission, who is a longtime Latin percussionist, in the legendary Latin Rock Band, Puro Bandito. Richard performed congas on this song, and recorded at his home studio.
The Breedloves are honored to be part of the Breedlove Guitars family!
The Breedloves are honored to make this list!
https://www.contracostalive.com/blog/top-musicians-of-contra-costa-county/
Published author Laurie Woodward was intrigued by Barbara and Jay and decided to write a story about them. Part One: A Story about Barbara
The Breedloves Acoustic Duo to be Featured in an upcoming Documentary - Stay Tuned!
Published Aurthor Laurie Woodward writes a story about Jay that is both intimate and Intriguing.
The Breedloves single "Sausalito" Featured in a short film by Kostas Petrakos, Creative director
www.petrakosfilms.com
www.kostasphotography.com
kostas@petrakosfilms.com
Located in San Carlos, CA. 94070
Tel: 650.585.1015
The Breedloves were honored to have been chosen in 2018, 2019 and 2023 to perform at BANDS AT NAMM at the International Music Trade Show (National Association of Music Merchants) in Anaheim, California.
Well over 2,500 bands submit their material for their chance to perform at NAMM, with only 130 spots to fill. It was an awesome experience, and we look forward to future opportunities the near future to share our music with our industry peers!
Check out our own NAMM Websites:
https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2019/events/breedloves
This song was written in loving memory of Barbara’s Mom, Dorothy Ann Romano. March 5, 2021 would have been her 87th birthday. Whenever Barbara would play an original song for her, she would always say “did you make that from scratch?” Each melody line in this song it’s almost like a beautiful conversation with her but instead of words, they are notes, played with lots of love!❤️
Copyright © 2019 The Breedloves Band - All Rights Reserved.