FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Isa Greenberg
973.746.8248
isa@littlekidsrock.org
Drum Legend Carmine Appice Jams with Local Kids
Appice presents ddrum™ kit to LKR kids at Oak Grove Elementary
March 11, 2009
TAMPA, FL — Some of the boys and girls at Oak Grove Elementary School are in for a treat this Wednesday, Feb. 25, when Carmine Appice, drummer for Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, Pink Floyd, Vanilla Fudge, and a string of other rock luminaries, shows up to jam with them. But it gets better: he’ll donate a highly coveted brand new ddrum™ drum set for them to learn on.
It’s all because Oak Grove is one of the homes of Little Kids Rock.
Little Kids Rock (LKR) is a national nonprofit organization that provides free instruments, free teacher trainings, and curriculum for public school students. Appice, just one rock star who is among LKR’s biggest supporters, will be making his first appearance in the Tampa area to work with the kids. "When I grew up in Brooklyn, there were gangs around, but I went my own way because of music," Appice says. "That gave me an outlet. Today, this program gives the kids a place to go and something to do. I’m glad Little Kids Rock is out there helping like this."
LKR is in its second year at Oak Grove Elementary School. Since 2007, more than 100 Oak Grove students have gone through the innovative curriculum, 34 teachers have received free training, and more than 800 new instruments have been gifted.
ddrum™ is a maker of acoustic and electronic drum products based in Tampa, Fla. Since 1983 they’ve been making world-renowned percussion products, preferred by some of rock’s greatest drummers, including Appice, who has a signature drum set that he designed with drum maker. The kit being donated by the company is their popular D2 five-piece kit in metallic silver.
Appice will donate the new drum set at 2:15 pm, show the kids some of the tricks of the trade, and then jam with them. Some of the selections that Appice and the kids will be jamming to include "Oye Como Va" by Santana, "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones, and "We’re Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. The event is open to the media, and the school is located at 6315 N. Armenia Avenue, Tampa, Fla., 33604. Note: Interviews with spokespeople and b-roll available upon request.
About Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock is a national nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of low-income children by restoring and revitalizing music education in U.S. public schools. It was founded in San Francisco in 1996 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 (LKR) is the largest provider of free instruments and teacher training to underserved kids in public schools in the United States. LKR serves more than 37,000 students in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C. The organization teaches kids how to play pop, rock, reggae, funk, blues, rap, and hip-hop music. LKR students not only perform but also compose and record their own music.
More information can be found at www.littlekidsrock.org and www.littlekidsrock.tv.
