Pearl River Guitars Supports Faces of HNC Music, Awareness Event P earl River Guitars added its voice at the 12th annual Faces of HNC Music and Awareness Event, held August 9 at the Twisted Copper Brewing Company in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. The evening raised funds and awareness for those living with head and neck cancer, with all proceeds going directly to support individuals in need during recovery. Organized by Sherry Carlisle Smith of The SCE Group and founded by photographer and advocate Debra Sheridan, the event has become a cornerstone for the head and neck cancer community. This year’s lineup featured Carlisle Smith alongside guitarists Coleman Murphy, Karen Dee and Dawn Richey, with special guest singer-songwriter J Edwards. As part of its sponsorship, Pearl River Guitars set up a hands-on display where artists and attendees could try out select models from the company’s acoustic and bass lines. The all-maple BPJ60-N bass and the A800-D model acoustic drew particular attention from players and audience members alike. “This event is about resilience, creativity and community,” Smith said. “Pearl River
ARTIST APPROVED
Maxamillion Haunt, from American rock band The Haunt, talks about his favorite guitar and how profiler amps have changed the game for guitarists playing live. MAXAMILLION HAUNT OF THE HAUNT Music Inc.: What was your first instrument? Maxamillion Haunt: My first guitar was a sun- burst Fender Squier that came in a little kit with a tiny Fender Frontman amp and a guitar strap. I played that guitar for years and covered it in stickers. It’s really the instrument that stoked the flame of my love for music. MI: What is your all-time favorite instrument? MH: My favorite is my PRS Custom P24. I’ve written almost every riff for The Haunt on that thing. I’m not really sure what makes it stand out from my other instruments. There’s something about playing such a beautifully crafted, refined instrument in such an aggressive and distorted way that really brings something special out of it. MI: What instruments are currently in your arsenal? MH: I have what feels like a million guitars right now, but my current weapons for the live show are an Imperial White Ernie Ball Music Man Mariposa. MI: Are there any new or emerging pieces of gear you’ve recently tried that have caught your attention? MH: I believe profiler amps have changed the game for guitarists playing live. They’ve taken away the limiting factors of guitar tones. When producing music, we use so many different tones throughout the course of a single song to create the anticipation and drops that we want to create. I’m fully able to create these same tones live now. — By Kimberly Kapela
Guitars shares those values.” {pearlriverusa.com/guitars}
Organizer Sherry Carlisle Smith during the event.
School of Rock Celebrates 100th International Franchise Milestone S chool of Rock has reached a significant milestone in its international growth, opening its 100th franchise location out-
life every day, and this milestone reflects their passion and dedication. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and even more excited about what lies ahead.” “We’ve built a franchise
side the U.S. This achievement represents the latest success in the brand’s rapidly expand- ing global footprint and un- derscores the strength of its scalable franchise model.
model that’s not only opera- tionally effective but cultur- ally adaptable, allowing pas- sionate local owners to make
With 103 international schools now open across 16 countries, the achievement cements the strength and scalability of the School of Rock franchise model. From Santiago to Sydney, Dublin to Sao Paulo, franchisees around the world are bringing the brand’s patented music education program to life. “Reaching 100 international franchise locations is a powerful testament to the strength and scalability of our model,” said Stacey Ryan, president of School of Rock. “Our system thrives across cultures, conti- nents and communities — united by a shared belief in the power of music to transform lives. Our franchisees bring that vision to
a meaningful impact in their communities while being part of a global brand,” said Elliot Schiffer, chief development officer at Youth Enrichment Brands. “This milestone is a testament to the entrepreneurs around the world who have embraced that opportu- nity and made School of Rock their own.” Since its international expansion began more than a decade ago, School of Rock has opened schools in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the U.S. and Uruguay. All international schools are independently owned franchises. {schoolofrock.com}
18 I MUSIC INC. I OCTOBER 2025
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