Media Contact:
Keith Hejna
Little Kids Rock
Work: (973) 746-8248, ext. 114
keith@littlekidsrock.org
NAMM SUPPORTS LITTLE KIDS ROCK’S CONTEMPORARY BAND PROGRAM FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
$40,000 NAMM grant helps national nonprofit fund modern music education program
Montclair, NJ., May. 26, 2010 -- Little Kids Rock (LKR), a leading nonprofit provider of free musical instruments and free instruction to underfunded public schools nationwide, today announced that The NAMM Foundation has awarded LKR a $40,000 program grant that will bring student-centered, pop-oriented, Contemporary Band classes into public schools. The grant complements last year’s NAMM grant, which helped found LKR’s Contemporary Band initiative in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which initiates Rock Band as a “fifth stream” of music education in public schools to complement Orchestra, Marching Band, Chorus, and Jazz Band programs.
“Modern band has been going great this year!” says Tony Sauza, Little Kids Rock teacher from Belvedere Middle School. “The modern band concept is a great format for teaching songwriting, improvising, group collaboration and overall musicianship development.”
Contemporary Band is a critical means for teachers to bring music-making to students who may not be interested in traditional band and orchestra programs. Says Tony Rodriguez from Utah Street Elementary, “Honestly, the potential is limitless.”
LKR held the first-ever free Contemporary Band teacher training in December, training LAUSD how to incorporate the LKR Contemporary Band program into their already thriving LKR guitar programs.
“The workshop pushed me to make my students play together,” says LKR teacher, Ruben Garcia from Ellen Ochoa Learning Center Middle School, who has successfully incorporated keyboards, drums and bass to his LKR guitar program.
NAMM’s support of LKR dates back to LKR’s founding. By pioneering new methods to revolutionize how music is taught, LKR has become a widely respected innovator and advocate in public school education, restoring and revitalizing music education in public schools where music programs were previously nonexistent or ailing.
About The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry.
About Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that transforms children’s lives by restoring and revitalizing music education in underfunded public schools. Little Kids Rock was founded in San Francisco in 2002 by David Wish, an elementary school teacher who had grown frustrated with the lack of music education funding at his school. Today, Little Kids Rock is one of the leading nonprofit providers of free lessons and instruments to underserved children in US public schools, and has served more than 93,000 students at over 1,200 schools in 23 cities nationwide. Little Kids Rock Honorary Board Members include Bonnie Raitt, Slash, Paul Simon, B.B. King, Ziggy Marley and other famous friends in the music industry. More information can be found at: www.littlekidsrock.org.
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