Saturday marks International Make Music Day, and one local musician is making a difference by providing guitars to aspiring musicians in need. Vincent Rodriguez, from New Milford, founded Smiles I Can’t See during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people who can’t afford their own instruments.
Since its inception, the nonprofit has donated nearly 300 new and gently used guitars to those who dream of learning to play but lack the resources. Rodriguez, 62, recalled how his own guitar was a lifeline growing up in the Bronx. “When I was a kid, my guitar was my best friend,” he says. “We’re only here for a short time, so we have to make the best of it.”
While most of the donations stay local, Rodriguez has helped deliver guitars as far as California. His focus is not on teaching lessons, but rather on giving instruments to children and letting them take the lead.
“I’m not interested in giving lessons,” Rodriguez explains. “I’m interested in giving them the tools and watching them take over.”
As long as donations keep coming in, Rodriguez plans to continue his mission, hoping to inspire a love of music for both himself and others. “I hope that music grows—for me and for everyone,” he says.
