Dinah Gretsch's Pooler Magazine Cover

Already one of the best-known women in the musical instrument industry, Dinah Gretsch can now add “cover girl” to her list of credits. The Gretsch Company CFO (and wife of company president Fred W. Gretsch) was recently the subject of the cover story in Pooler magazine. The publication is a regional title that focuses on key personalities and events in the Savannah, Georgia suburb for which it’s named. Fred and Dinah Gretsch live in Pooler, and the community is just a short drive from the Gretsch drum factory in Ridgeland, South Carolina.

In addition to outlining the 127-year history of the Gretsch Company, the Pooler Magazine cover story also spotlights Dinah Gretsch’s current personal efforts as an activist for music education, including the Mrs. G’s Music Foundation. Dinah founded that organization in 2010 to help local schools keep music instruction in their curriculum. The article quotes Dinah as saying, “I love kids, and kids love music. There are some rural schools in our area that never had music education. So the foundation is helping to start those programs from scratch.” So far the Mrs. G’s Foundation has brought the World Drumming Program to Savannah’s Notre Dame Academy and to Ridgeland’s Thomas Heyward Academy, in addition to funding music teachers and a visiting-artist program that’s already presented drummers Mark Schulman (Pink) and Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) and guitarists Bob Sabellico, Richard Kiser, and Joe Robinson. In addition, a collaboration with the Lexington, Kentucky-based Foundation For Music Learning, has resulted in music instruction being placed in eight Headstart programs in Savannah.

For more information on Dinah Gretsch’s Pooler Magazine cover story, go to Pooler Magazine’s website.

The Mrs. G’s Music Foundation, created by Gretsch Company CFO Dinah Gretsch to support music education in rural schools, recently sponsored the THA’s Got Talent contest at Thomas Heyward Academy in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Held this past March 15, the competition presented performances in vocal, dance, and variety by kindergarten through twelfth grade THA students.

THA's Got Talent Judges

On hand to serve as a celebrity judges for the evening were Stephen Ferrone and Joe Robinson. Currently a member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Ferrone’s touring and recording credits include The Average White Band, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, George Benson, and Eric Clapton. Robinson is a guitar prodigy who won the 2008 edition of Australia’s Got Talent at the age of sixteen and has since headlined shows around the world. Completing the panel of judges was Felicia Lem, a local dance instructor and THA alumnus.

Stephen & Joe Perform

In addition to the talent contest, the event featured a performance by Ferrone and Robinson. They were later joined by a battery of THA fifth and sixth graders playing percussion instruments. Ferrone then congratulated all the contestants and saluted the parents for supporting their children’s musical endeavors.

The Mrs. G’s Music Foundation was established in 2010. Since then, the organization has funded a variety of instructional music programs, as well as seminars, workshops, and concerts by visiting artists. The artist visits serve double-duty as teaching programs and motivational sessions.

THA's Got Talent Winners

“I believe that music has the power to change children’s lives for the better,” said Dinah Gretsch. “If we can reach young children with that power, we can set them on a positive path for the rest of their lives.”