|
February 27, 2004 - San Francisco, CA-Little Kids Rock (LKR), a national after-school music program providing free instruments and instruction for elementary school students, today announced that a fundraising partnership has been forged with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE). The keystone of the partnership provides an online donation page on the elvis.com web site. The page will be live on March 1st in of observance of ‘Music in Our Schools' month; a national observance dedicated to raising awareness for the plight of music education programming across the country. Funds raised from the online giving page will be used to support LKR's current music education program and help launch new schools throughout the U.S. To view the giving page visit: www.elvis.com/littlekidsrock.html or visit elvis.com and visit the "charities" link.
EPE has decided to launch this current fundraising endeavor and partner with Little Kids Rock in 2004 to honor Elvis Presley's first single, "That's All Right Mama", recorded at Sun Studio in 1954, and its contribution to the birth of rock and roll. The release of that Elvis classic marked the dawn of a new era in music making. Rock ‘n' Roll has not only withstood the test of time, but also provided the catalyst for revitalizing the music industry and propelling into 21st century.
"This year is the 50th anniversary of Elvis' first single, "That's All Right Mama" and is widely regarded as the 50th anniversary of the birth of rock 'n' roll," said Scott Williams of Elvis Presley Enterprises. "Elvis loved kids and would have been proud to support Little Kids Rock. Today, we are giving Elvis fans the world over a meaningful way to remember that day in history. What better way to honor Elvis' legacy than to help bring music education into our children's lives?"
"Elvis Presley brought music to people all over the world and today he is helping us restore it to its rightful place in our schools," said David Wish, Executive Director of Little Kids Rock. "Without Elvis, where would music be today? It is only fitting that by supporting music education for our kids, Elvis is still the man behind the music. " In addition to the online giving page, EPE is also supporting Little Kids Rock through the sale of a commemorative teddy bear, special events, raffles and other efforts.
LKR will be making other announcements throughout ‘Music in Our Schools' month. Other events and promotions include in-school celebrity visits, announcements of strategic partnerships and inductions of new honorary board members.
LKR students learn to perform, compose and record their own music in a variety of genres including pop, rock, funk, blues, rap and hip-hop. In addition to releasing four full-length CDs, Little Kids Rock participants have also recorded three music videos featuring student-written original songs. To date, the Little Kids Rock program has served more than 2,000 students in California, New York, New Jersey and Tennessee. Supporters of the program include Paul Simon, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Les Paul, Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, The String Cheese Incident, Phish, and the late blues legend, John Lee Hooker.
ABOUT LITTLE KIDS ROCK
Little Kids Rock believes that music is a critical component of first-rate education. Many elementary schools have been stripped of their music programs. These cuts have had a disproportionately large impact on children from low-income backgrounds. Little Kids Rock restores music to its rightful place in the academic lives of kids in our public schools by providing a rich music education program including instrument instruction, free instruments and trained mentors. Founded by a single elementary school teacher in 1996, Little Kids Rock is now serving 2,000 students in CA, NY, NJ and TN. Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, BB King and Les Paul sit on our Honorary Board of Directors and we are supported by friends Carlos Santana, Phish, Bob Weir and others. Little Kids Rock programs are scheduled to launch in the Los Angeles area in 2004.
ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRISES
EPE is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit Elvis.com.
Media Contact:
Allison Neves, PR Director
Little Kids Rock
415-948-1200
allison@littlekidsrock.org
|
Login
