For the Love of Music

Refurbishing old guitars and handcrafting ‘canjos’ for others to enjoy is a fun way to pay it forward

- Noel Marentette

I am a musician from Chatham, Ont., and I have been playing music at local venues and benefits for a number of years with my bands, The Boxcars and Yesterday’s Child. My song “Ride Ride That Train,” which I wrote and recorded in 1979, has received airplay on CBC radio. I play guitar, banjo, mandolin, strumstick, mountain dulcimer, monochord, and two and three-string delta blues lap steel slide, so it’s safe to say I have a real passion for string instruments.

My love for playing live music has evolved over the last few years and now includes another passion of mine—spreading the joy I feel about music to others in a tangible way. I am always on the hunt for old campfire guitars that I pick up at yard sales or even at the side of the road on garbage day. I do my best to bring these old guitars back to life. Usually, all it takes is a little loving care. I add new strings, tune them up and give them to kids who want to learn to play but whose parents may not be able to afford a new instrument.