Charleston Magazine - 
 Instrumental Group

As students return to classrooms, some will pick up musical instruments for the first time in months. For young musicians, long breaks without access to sometimes prohibitively costly equipment can mean lost practice time, weakened muscle memory, and stalled progress. In Charleston County schools, however, one nonprofit with a mission of “building musical communities” is working to keep students playing year-round while fostering a new generation of performers. 

Founded in late 2023 by longtime music manager Bunky Odom, Rock N Roll Rescue provides new and refurbished instruments free of charge to children ages nine to 14 throughout the Charleston area. The organization gained nonprofit status in February 2024, made its first donations to six children at Baptist Hill Middle School in 2025, and has gone on to make dozens of other deliveries throughout the Lowcountry. 

Through the rescue, instruments are given directly to a student to keep, something Odom stresses as more meaningful than a loaner from the school. “That instrument now belongs to them,” he says. “They can take it home and play it all summer, even if it may drive their parents a little crazy.” 

In addition to purchasing new equipment, the nonprofit accepts donations of gently used woodwind and string instruments, regularly refurbishing electric and acoustic guitars, violins, keyboards, saxophones, and flutes, as well as more unique items, like a Wurlitzer electric piano. “I’ll talk to somebody who says, ‘Oh, I got a guitar I haven’t played in years.’ And I tell them that it’s crying to be played,” Odom says. “If it’s gathering dust, let us have it.” 

In May, the nonprofit donated five new instruments to students at Allegro Charter School of Music during a presentation featuring Charlton Singleton, vocalist and trumpeter for the local Grammy-winning Gullah band Ranky Tanky. “Being a former full-time elementary music teacher and band director, anytime something like this comes up where you’re directly helping students, I’m all in,” says Singleton. 

Those looking to support the organization can volunteer at events, including concerts at The Refinery, or assist with instrument collection and repairs. Monetary contributions help fund the purchase of new equipment and educational opportunities, including a partnership with the Charleston Gaillard Center that sent eight students from three schools to its Youth Jazz Orchestra All Stars Camp in June. 

Odom’s decades-long connections in the music industry, including stints guiding the Allman Brothers Band and the Marshall Tucker Band, continue to create opportunities. The nonprofit partnered with Darius Rucker for last year’s Riverfront Revival and participated in fundraising efforts during April’s High Water music festival, raising nearly $100,000 between the two events. 

By teaming up with Charleston County schools, families, and local artists, the rescue creates a support network that amplifies its mission. “School-issued instruments are good to start learning on, but you hear a different performance in professional models,” Singleton says. “I can remember being a full-time band director and telling parents you get what you pay for. Upgrading your child’s instrument provides a great incentive for them to keep playing; they hear a better quality sound, and it drives them to want to play more.”

Looking ahead, Odom hopes to raise funds for a dedicated repair shop with help from Chris Bluemel, owner of Southern String Supply music store in Mount Pleasant. Odom and his board also plan to establish a community scholarship fund with the help of an in-house grant writer. “We’re in with the musicians, but scholarships will help put us in the community,” Odom says. “I’ve received so many thank-you notes from kids telling me what they want to do in life. It’s wonderful to go to a school and see a kid whose parents can’t afford to buy an instrument get one in their hands. It’ll bring a tear to your eye.”

(https://charlestonmag.com
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_charleston_students)