Tyler Day Nursery is among the Smith County nonprofits awarded with a grant from the Tatum Music Charitable Foundation.

The Tatum Music Charitable Foundation held at East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF) in Tyler awarded $50,000 to assist 11 charities serving Gregg County and Smith County.

“East Texas Communities Foundation welcomes the opportunity to help donors fulfill their charitable goals,” said Kyle Penney, President of East Texas Communities Foundation. “Tatum Music Company has a long history of supporting the needs of our area. These grants will provide much-needed resources to assist the critical work of each of these nonprofits.”

Nonprofits receiving the grants provide a wide range of critical services and programs to children living in the counties where Tatum Music Company currently has storefronts.

“Tatum Music Company has been blessed to be a part of this community for 75 years,” said Doice Grant, owner of Tatum Music Company. “With these grants, we wanted to focus on children’s causes and make an impact on the lives of kids in the communities we serve.”

Tatum Music Charitable Foundation grantees include:

Smith County

Tyler Day Nursery

Children’s Miracle Network

CASA for Kids of East Texas

Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County

United Way of Smith County

Gregg County

The Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center

East Texas Casa

East Texas Special Children’s Projects

Gregg, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Pines

SeeSaw Children’s Place

greater Longview United Way

“These grants were made possible because local families invested in music programs across East Texas,” Grant said. “My wife and I wanted to do something special in honor of the store’s 75th anniversary, so in 2022, we decided to allocate a portion of each completed rent-to-own instrument agreement.”

Grant added, “You have to have supportive parents and teachers when you are a band student, and we know that some kids are missing that. We wanted to use this opportunity to help those kids that have been dealt a bad hand by giving to organizations helping them overcome life’s challenges.”

Tatum Music Company opened in Longview on Aug. 15, 1948. In 2010, Grant took over ownership of the company, making him only the third owner in the company’s 75-year history. Initially, the stores’ primary role was to sell records, record players and sheet music. By 1970, the focus shifted to providing quality, affordable band instruments to local school band programs. A repair shop was added in 1949, providing regional band directors with a convenient place to take instruments needing attention.

The Tyler location was added in 1967, elevating the popularity of Tatum Music Company as a trusted partner for the school’s band departments and local musicians. The duo of stores continues to positively influence school band programs across East Texas by offering top-quality band instruments, accessories and repair services, as well as complimentary band clinics provided by the staff of Tatum Music Company.