Taylor Swift, Dave Matthews, and Styx are among the artists donating special items to the Raven Drum Foundation‘s annual “12 Drummers Drumming” fundraiser to raise money for veterans, first responders, and others working on the frontlines. Among the items up for auction are a guitar signed by Swift that boasts an image of her walking through the forest from her Grammy-decorated 2020 album Folklore, a bass guitar signed by Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, and a package from former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum that includes a drum head displaying a hand-drawn sketch of his signature character.
Videos by American Songwriter
Matthews is also offering a unique item in the form of a custom Gibson guitar that boasts hand-drawn artwork by the singer, with the funds going toward Raven Drum’s partnership with Musicians on Call, an organization that brings music to the bedsides of patients in hospitals.
Raven Drum was founded by Def Leppard’s Rick Allen and his wife Lauren Monroe in 2001. “By integrating advocacy, storytelling, music, and arts programs and events, we bring the tools and experiences of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to support and inspire mental health, resiliency, and unity,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
“I recently had the chance to attend a Raven Drum Foundation event and was really impacted by the healing effect the drum circle and joining together in a shared rhythm with a community of people had on me,” Sixx says in a press statement. “I’m happy to support Raven Drum’s mission by donating one of my signature bass guitars, along with a few other items, including a scarf worn on stage with Mötley Crüe, some signed books, and my custom picks.”
The inaugural auction took place in 2021 and has raised more than $120,000. The 2023 auction ends on Veterans Day (November 11) at 3 p.m. ET.
Photo by: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
