$100,000 Pilot Grant Opportunity Open to all K - 12 Public Schools
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
In response to the growing need for high-quality, functional pianos in
public schools, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation in partnership with
singer/songwriter/pianist Sara
Bareilles are launching Keys + Kids, a new competitive grant
program open to all U.S. K-12 public schools. Beginning March 10th and
through April 30th, interested K - 12 public schools can submit their
application at VH1SaveTheMusic.org
to receive one of ten piano packages valued at $10,000 worth of
equipment each to support their music and arts program.
Sara Bareilles. (Photo credit: Danny Clinch)
"Music changed my life. I was one of the lucky kids who had access to
wonderful music programming in my school, and it has profoundly and
positively affected me in more ways than I can mention," said Sara
Bareilles. "A piano symbolizes the centerpiece of all of that for me,
and I'm so happy to join with VH1 Save the Music to launch the Keys +
Kids Program to bring 10 piano packages into deserving classrooms. I
believe arts education to be vital to the health and balance of our
students and it is my privilege and my honor to lend my voice in support
of this mission."
"We are delighted to have Sara Bareilles - someone who truly understands
the value of a piano - to help us launch the Keys + Kids Piano
Program," said Paul Cothran, Executive Director, VH1 Save The Music
Foundation. "This opportunity would not be possible without our Keys
+ Kids Leadership Circle that includes: Avnet Inc., The Durst
Organization, Houlihan's Restaurants, The LEGO Children's Fund, NAMM,
Raymond Weil, William Hill Estate Winery, Shure Incorporated, Yamaha and
countless individuals. Their support of this pilot program has been
integral to our mission of continuing to provide students the maximum
benefits of music education."
Applications will be judged by a Committee made up of members of the
Foundation's Board of Directors, Sara Bareilles, VH1 senior staff and
patrons of the Keys + Kids Leadership Circle. Grant winners will be
announced on the Foundation's website on May 30, 2014. For more
information, contest rules or to see how you can get involved please
visit www.vh1savethemusic.org.
About the VH1 Save The Music Foundation:
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to restoring instrumental music education programs in America's public
schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of
each child's complete education. To date, VH1 Save The Music has
provided nearly $51 Million in new musical instruments to almost 1,900
public schools in more than 192 districts around the country, impacting
the lives of over 2.3 million children. The 2013 Ambassador Class -
dedicated to raising awareness and funds to benefit The Foundation -
includes: Britney Spears, Gloria Reuben, Hunter Hayes, Taye Diggs, Cher
Lloyd, Jason Derulo and Diane Birch. Get involved at www.vh1savethemusic.com
and follow us on twitter @vh1savethemusic.
About Sara Bareilles:
Sara Bareilles first achieved mainstream critical praise in 2007 with
her widely successful hit, "Love Song" which reached #1 in 22 countries
around the world from her debut album LITTLE VOICE. Since then, the
Eureka, CA native has gone on to sell over 1 million copies of her debut
album, earn 3 Grammy nominations including Song of the Year and Best
Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Love Song." Bareilles' critically
acclaimed sophomore release KALEIDOSCOPE HEART was released in September
of 2010, debuted at #1 on the Billboard top 200 chart and has gained
critical praise everywhere including the New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, People and Los Angeles Times. The album yielded the hit single
"King of Anything," which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop
Vocal Performance and was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2011,
Bareilles joined the judge's panel on the hit NBC show "The Sing-Off."
In early 2012, Bareilles released a documentary called "A Trace of the
Sun: Volunteering in Japan," which chronicled her trip to Japan where
she joined All Hands Volunteer efforts in the city of Ofunato after the
2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated coastal cities
and left over 26,000 people without homes. Soon after she released her
critically acclaimed ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME EP, which was produced by
singer/songwriter and fellow "Sing-Off" judge Ben Folds. For more
information, please visit www.sarabmusic.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140310006231/en/
MEDIA:
VH1
Jake Slane
310-752-8370
Jake.Slane@VH1.com
Source: VH1
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