Balgownie musician Scotty Burford is set to strum a guitar for 125 hours straight in an attempt to gain the Guinness World Record title for Longest Guitar Playing Marathon and raise money for charity.
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“Sleep, that’s going to be the biggest challenge,” he laughed.
Burford will begin the five-day feat Sunday evening in the window-front of Engadine Music, and will be allowed a two-hour break every 24 hours (or five minutes every hour).
Sore fingers won’t be a problem as the seasoned musician – one half of duo Ang and the Doctor – often has a guitar in hand for 60 or 70 hours each week.
“Day four – assuming I haven’t fallen over – will be the hardest thing,” Burford said. “My playing ability will drop significantly …. anything more interesting and complex I’ll play in the first day or two.”
Other musicians will be allowed into jam with Burford to help keep the momentum, while he is organising the event to be live streamed on social media.
He’s also using it as a tool to raise funds for a charity close to his heart, Musicians Making A Difference.
The organisation offers young people a creative safe-haven where they are supported in breaking negative life cycles and empowered to use their own talents to make a difference within the wider community.
Burford said the death of a sporting teammate to suicide in his teenage years deeply affected him, and has since been a strong advocate for people (men especially) to look out for each other.
“If someone says ‘I’m actually struggling with something’ it’s often the case the [response] is ‘oh have you seen the footy on the weekend’ – there’s that reluctance,” he said.
Burford hopes to raise at least $12,000 for MMAD to fund free guitars, free lessons and mentoring classes for disadvantaged youth.
Donations can be made via www.everydayhero.com/au/