Tedeschi Trucks Band Donates $48K In Instruments To Jacksonville High School

Jacksonville, Florida residents Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi – the married namesake leaders of Tedeschi Trucks Band – facilitated the donation of musical instruments to a local high school. The band purchased 38 new instruments for the students of Englewood High School, at a value of $48,000.

Guitars, drums, wind instruments and more costly gear like large brass instruments were part of the donation. TTB partnered with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to provide the instruments.

“Susan and I were both fortunate to have instruments available to us when we were young,” Trucks told WJCT. “Sadly, this is not the case for so many students these days, at a time when having the tools to express creativity is so vital to their education. We were happy and humbled to be able to help.”

According to WJCT, students and staff were invited to the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Wheels Of Soul Tour opener at Jacksonville’s Daily’s Place and were told about the donation during a special backstage meet-and-greet with the band.

“We are deeply thankful to the Tedeschi Trucks Band for their incredible support, not just of the Englewood High School music program, but music programs across the district,” Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene told WJCT. “Through their generous donations over the years, they have truly given hundreds of students the gift of music. Knowing that these instruments came from an alum from that school, and two very gifted local artists, makes the donation even more special. The students and staff at Englewood High School will benefit from this transformative gift for years to come.”