Save The Gist: The 300 for $333

When you walk into The Gist Music Company in Helena, Arkansas, you can still feel the rhythm of a thousand stories. The worn counters, the smell of old wood, the instruments waiting to sing again — it’s a place where generations learned that music wasn’t just a pastime. It was a lifeline.

Since 1941, The Gist has been part of the Delta’s heartbeat. Now, through The 300 for $333, we’re inviting 300 people to give $333 each to help purchase and restore this Arkansas treasure — keeping its soul intact while creating opportunity for a new generation of musicians and production professionals.

A Heritage Restored, Not Replaced

The Gist will remain what it has always been — a music store and repair shop at its core. Around that historic anchor, we’ll build a place where people can work, learn, and perform: a small live-music venue, a recording and rehearsal space, and a home for training stagehands, sound techs, and future producers.

This isn’t about modernizing history. It’s about giving it a future.

Why It Matters

After the pandemic, we saw too many empty stages — not because there wasn’t talent, but because there weren’t enough trained people to make the shows happen. Across Arkansas, production professionals were aging out, and the next generation didn’t even know these careers existed. We realized something had to change.

That’s why we started The Music Education Initiative (MEI). Since then, we’ve hosted more than 60 workshops across the state, teaching sound, lighting, and production skills — and connecting people who never thought they could work in this industry with real jobs and opportunities.

Real People. Real Impact.

Rigo, from Springdale, first came to a MEI workshop just wanting to be around music. He discovered a gift for production and is now MEI’s Resident Production Manager, leading crews at shows across Arkansas.

Brandon, a college student from Central Arkansas, joined our Road to Recognition tour — where he learned multiple production roles working for local artists. That experience gave him the confidence to pursue production as a career.

The restored Gist will give stories like theirs a home base — a space where training, creativity, and opportunity all meet under one historic roof.

The Heart Behind The Work

This project is led by Orson Weems and Greg “GT” Thompson — two men brought together by legendary Stax Records executive Al Bell, who taught them that music is more than entertainment — it’s a way to uplift people.

Businessman, Orson Weems, a former Razorback football player from Arkansas, brings the heart and determination of a hometown son who wants to see the Delta thrive again. GT, a former touring artist and founder of the R&B band The 17th Floor, toured with acts like TLC and Usher, and now wants to share his love for live performance with the next generation.

Together, through MEI, they’ve created a movement — from their mobile recording coach, Majesty, to workshops that reach communities across Arkansas. The Gist is the next step — the permanent home for this mission.

Be One of The 300

When you give $333, your name becomes part of The Wall of 300 inside The Gist — a lasting symbol of the people who helped bring life, work, and music back to Helena.

Your gift doesn’t just save a building. It keeps Helena’s musical story alive. It creates jobs. It builds pride. It reminds the world that Arkansas music — and its people — are still writing new verses.

Join us. Help us save The Gist, and be part of Arkansas history in the making.

💛 Give $333 Now

Save The Gist: The 300 for $333

By The Music Education Initiative

Save The Gist: The 300 for $333

Continue Arkansas' Music Legacy

Team Members