Sunday, February 20, 2005

Education Corner

Teens, Let Your Voices Be Heard: Final Call to Sign Petition to Save Music Education

- February 25 is Last Chance to Join Justin Timberlake, Nick Lachey, Amber Tamblyn, Sean Paul, Clay Aiken, and a Host of Others Who Have Signed Nationwide Petition Going to Congress -

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A national online petition drive to support music in America's schools is coming to a star-studded Congressional presentation next month, but teens everywhere can still participate by visiting http://www.themusicedge.com/ before the February 25 deadline.
On March 9, talented young performers Justin Guarini, Diana DeGarmo and John Stevens from Fox's American Idol and the legendary Commodores will join other artists and education advocates to deliver the tens of thousands of petition signatures personally to members of Congress and visit Capitol Hill to make their case for saving music education in schools. The non-profit effort to let kids tell the world they want music in their lives and in their schools is an initiative of NAMM, the International Music Products Association, its non-profit affiliate the American Music Conference (AMC) and its teen web site, http://themusicedge.com/, along with TEEN PEOPLE and Fanscape, a youth entertainment marketing company.
The petition to Congress on behalf of music education got its start in June 2002, when Justin Timberlake broke the news on MTV's Total Request Live. Since then, TEEN PEOPLE and themusicedge.com have encouraged thousands of young people to add their names alongside celebrities like Clay Aiken, Nick Lachey, Sean Paul, JC Chasez, Nick Cannon, Yellowcard, Amber Tamblyn, Ashlee Simpson, Pharrell Williams, Fefe Dobson, Ben Jelen, Samaire Armstrong and Adam Brody.
"Hundreds of thousands of kids are losing the opportunity to participate in school music programs because of drastic budget cuts in arts programs," says Joe Lamond, President and CEO of NAMM, which promotes the benefits of music, music research and music education. "Music education offers too many benefits to developing minds for this issue to go unnoticed. We need to give kids the opportunity to have a well-rounded education, and we need to empower more of them and their parents to voice their concerns."
The petition's delivery to Congress highlights NAMM's national activities to advance support of music education during the month of March. TEEN PEOPLE, NAMM and AMC urge teens across the country to sign the petition on themusicedge.com before February 25, and help keep school-based music programs alive.

About NAMM

The International Music Products Association, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry. The association's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of nearly 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit http://namm.com/ or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).


About AMC

Founded in 1947, AMC is a national non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music-making and music education to the general public. For more information on the American Music Conference, go to http://www.amc-music.org/.


About TEEN PEOPLE

TEEN PEOPLE, a National Magazine Award winner for General Excellence, is the definitive voice of youth culture. Launched in January 1998, TEEN PEOPLE became the first pop culture magazine for teens that focuses on stars, style and substance. With an editorial mix covering celebrities and entertainment, fashion and beauty, real teens and their accomplishments, TEEN PEOPLE keeps its readers clued in to what's now, what's next and what matters. Published ten times a year with two newsstand special editions, TEEN PEOPLE's guaranteed circulation is 1.45 million. TEENPEOPLE.COM is the magazine's official website.

About Fanscape

Founded in 1998, Fanscape is a leading youth entertainment marketing company focused on Online and Field Marketing through Grassroots Marketing, Fanscape Media Network, Market Research, and Corporate Partnerships. Through entertainment client partners Fanscape keeps an open and active dialogue with over four million 13 - 29-year-olds, specializing in providing an exclusive and dynamic link between young consumers and their lifestyles.

Source: American Music Conference
Web site: http://www.themusicedge.com/
http://namm.com/
http://www.amc-music.org/

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