Tennessee nonprofit ReTune Nashville raised nearlhy $20,000 for musicians' flood relief at the October 23 Benefit Concert and Art Auction Event with nearly 500 people in attendance.

Held at Nashville's music storage and rehearsal facility Soundcheck, the event welcomed attendees of all ages to a four hour celebration of recycled flood damaged instruments turned into artwork, live music, a live and silent auction and complimentary food and beverages until late into the night.

Approximately 90 pieces of artwork and jewelry created from flooddamaged instruments were on display throughout the evening with seven additional items auctioned off at the live auction.

The first auction item, a piece by visual artist Randy Purcell, sold for $2,700.00, setting the precedent for the rest of the evening. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the night for many attendees and for Re Tune founder Sheri O'Neal was presenting a brand new drum kit courtesy of DW Drums to Andy Zimmerman, drummer for regional reggae-rock band, The Running.

O'Neal shared her sentiments on the experience, "Watching a bidding war break out on the first auction item and presenting the new drum kit to Andy (Zimmerman) were absolutely the top highlights of my evening. Never did I expect this idea to reach this level. It was an emotional and rewarding experience for so many of us there that night."

Zimmerman, surprised by the gift, shared, "Words cannot express the level of gratitude and love I have for everyone involved with ReTune Nashville. Receiving that drum set was a total shock and, I dare say, a life changing experience." Zimmerman continued, “After the flood, my creativity and motivation were all but extinguished. Thanks to ReTune Nashville, the fire is raging again!”
 
Congressman Jim Cooper, well known as an advocate of protection and support of Nashville’s music and entertainment community, made an appearance at the event, sharing his deep appreciation for those in attendance.
 
ReTune’s reach spread outside of Nashville to people nationwide, welcoming attendees from California, Michigan, Virginia, and beyond to support Nashville’s musicians first-hand.
 
“I think there were a lot of people from out of state who wanted to help restore Nashville during the May flood, but didn’t know how. They didn’t necessarily have the time or resources to donate time or money. This was a way for many of them give back while celebrating Nashville’s resiliency and directly supporting Nashville’s musicians. It was really heart-warming to see that support,” said O’Neal.
 
With the help from Soundcheck, Uplight Technologies a hardworking band and crew, and an eclectic cast of performers, Music Director Rich Eckhardt created a high-quality concert experience for the attendees. “The music portion of the event really exceeded a lot of our expectations. We knew it was going to be a great show, but thanks to the generosity of everyone involved, we were able to present an outstanding concert experience with a superior light show and a variety of truly talented musicians.”  Music performers included Sean Smith, Sean O’Bryan Smith, Jeremy Lister, Anthony Smith, Jamie O’Neal, Eddy Raven, Kentucky Thunder, and Derek St. Holmes.
 
ReTune Nashville continues their efforts through the end of the year and into 2011 with the launch of an online auction on November 1 to continue to raise funds for uninsured musicians affected by the flood through MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief and the Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund.
 
To bid on items or for more information about ReTune Nashville, visit retunenashville.org.
 

 
About ReTune Nashville:
Founded as a non-profit organization in May 2010 by Nashville photographer Sheri O'Neal, ReTune Nashville exists with a mission to provide relief to uninsured musicians in the industry through the sale of artwork created from flood damaged musical gear. The proceeds from the sale of artwork are donated to MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief and the Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund for distribution to uninsured musicians in the industry.
 

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