When Bluffton local, Jeff Rigg, noticed students wanting to learn band instruments but lacking
the means to do so, he wanted to do something about that. For the past 14 years, Rigg, who
owns Your Sound Stage Recording Studio and performs with The Horan Brothers, has collected
trumpets, clarinets, flutes, saxophones and more for Bluffton and Hilton Head high schoolers.
Recently, he teamed up with Uncorked Wine, Bar, Food and Music, to create an even greater
network to connect underserved local students with the band instruments they need.

On Sunday, June 9, Uncorked at 1533 Fording Island Road, Suite 296 in Hilton Head, hosts the first annual
fundraiser “Instruments for Kids,” featuring a full day of local music, a raffle, food and
beverages. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. with singer-songwriter Josephine Johnson, followed by
local favorites The Horan Brothers, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sonic powerhouse Sweet Forgiveness
takes the stage 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with Groove Town Assault closing out the night 7 p.m. to 9
p.m. The event is free to attend, with patrons encouraged to donate at amounts fitting their
budgets.

But the Sunday fundraiser isn’t the first partnering between Rigg and UnCorked. In fact, for
about a year a portion of the bar’s weekend music fee has been donated to Rigg and his high
school band instrument endeavor.

“We wanted to make sure we were giving back and supporting the community,” said Lorrie
Ritter, co-owner of Uncorked. “The music fee on Friday and Saturday nights helps defray costs of
larger bands, but a portion also goes directly to Jeff for buying instruments.”

Rigg and his venture work like this: He keeps an eye on different places and people with
instruments for sale, and whenever he finds a beginner-level instrument at a reasonable price,
he purchases it. Then, either he or other technicians repair and tune it up to make it
comfortable for playing.

And the effort is paying off. Rigg recalls a young man who excelled musically after receiving an
instrument.

“About 4 years ago, I learned of a student who’d really taken to playing the trumpet, but his
parents couldn’t afford to continue leasing the instrument,” said Rigg. “Through a network of
people, I was able to connect this student with a trumpet, and he stayed in band throughout
high school.!”

The connection between playing a musical instrument and academic success is well
documented. Students who practice and perform regularly are more likely to have greater time
management skills, goal setting abilities and overall higher academic achievement. The
partnership between Uncorked and Rigg helps serve the community by providing opportunities,
not only for students to learn an instrument, but also a chance for them to develop greater skills
for a lifetime of success.

But purchasing trumpets, clarinets, flutes, and even drum sets isn’t cheap. Earlier this year,
Uncorked donated $600 from the music fee to Rigg who was able to purchase two trumpets.
Both needed repairs and cleaning before a student could play them.

“The cost of everything is rising so quickly, but that shouldn’t exclude a student from learning or
continuing on an instrument they love,” emphasized Rigg. “By partnering with Uncorked,
communicating with local teachers and creating a pathway of exchange between all of us, we
will be able to assist more students in learning music in Hilton Head and Bluffton. And that’s a
community achievement we can all be proud of”

If you go:

What: “Instruments for Kids Benefit”
Where: Uncorked Wine Bar, Food & Music

1533 Fording Island Road , Suite 296, Hilton Head
When: Sunday, June 9, 2024, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free to attend, patrons encouraged to donate