The Karma Bass Project

This young lady is one of the recipients of a thing I call the Karma Bass project. It started as a philanthropic effort I planned on just doing myself, and has dovetailed into a bigger thing than I could have ever imagined. Allow me to elucidate!

I am a local bassist. I have been playing at least part time for 44 years. I started when I was a middle schooler, and have continued on ever since. I have lived in El Paso, TX for about 10 years, and the last 5, I have been a full timer. I teach lessons, play gigs, do studio work, whatever! The amount of hustle it takes can be overwhelming, and sometimes I am rolling in dough, other times, I am digging in my couch cushions for change. I love what I do though, and am deliriously happy in my life choices.

I got the idea in my head that I wanted to buy a beginning bass- something in the $100-150 range- get it set up, get a gig bag, strap, cables, a tuner, and a set of strings, and give it to a kid who might need it. My criteria were as follows: A good student- doesn’t have to be a straight A student, but definitely a kid who is making effort. I also wanted a kid who has a real need. A kid whose current instrument needs some TLC the family cannot afford, or is using an instrument provided by the school, but doesn’t have one of their own, stuff like that.

How to do it though?

Well, the first thing I did was reach out to all the local music teachers in the public schools. I also took nominations from local churches. Second, I set up a Facebook page so people could follow the progress. Lastly, I set up a GoFundMe page, so people could donate.

I am very careful not to use any of the donations for my own use. I think that would violate the spirit of the thing. So any and all donations I receive go directly to Karma Bass recipients. I was able to award 5 Basses so far, of which, the young lady pictured above is the most recent. Thanks to GoFundMe donations, two of the recipients have gotten new Basses, instead of second hand ones.

I plan to continue doing this, and I encourage my fellow musicians to do something similar in their towns! I also encourage you to look at your collections of instruments. That one...the cheap, beater? The one you bought from a pawn shop? The one you never play, but just won’t part with? The one you’ve been planning to put better pickups in, our upgraded tuners, but you have several better instruments you have bought since? THAT ONE? Consider giving it to someone like me, and let ME give it to a kid in need!