Students at Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Washington High School will have an opportunity to take guitar lessons this fall through a new partnership with Pepper Entertainment. The class will be offered through the Sioux Falls School District’s (SFSD) Fine Arts Program.

Through this joint effort, Pepper Entertainment will donate $1 from each ticket sold from all Sioux Falls concerts their company promotes. In addition, when performers visit Sioux Falls, they plan to offer master classes, “promoter-for-a-day” experiences, and other hands-on opportunities that relate to marketing/PR, set design, ticketing/sales, and the hospitality industry.

So far, 145 students have enrolled in the guitar class. If the pilot is successful, the SFSD will consider expanding the program to the middle schools.

Jack Simpson, a student and aspiring jazz guitarist from Lincoln High School, helped make the announcement at the School Board meeting on June 13th. He played a guitar Jon Bon Jovi donated to the SFSD.