Los Angeles (California), USA – Little Kids Rock (LKR), a program providing free instruments and instruction for public school students, today announced events in conjunction with national Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM), presented by The National Association for Music Education every March. The purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that all children should have access to music in schools.
As part of this year’s activities, Ziggy Marley will meet with approximately 150 6th through 8th grade students participating in the Little Kids Rock program at Belvedere Middle School. The event will take place on March 27th at 1:00 p.m. PDT at 312 North Record Avenue in Los Angeles. Ziggy will also perform a song or two with the students. Media are invited to attend the event.The LKR program is in its second year at Belvedere Middle School. To date, more than 500 Belvedere students have gone through the LKR program and received the gift of free music education.
During Mr. Marley’s 90 minute visit, the Little Kids Rock students will play eight songs which will include cover and student written pieces, a Ziggy Marley song titled, "Love is my religion" and a Bob Marley selection titled, "Three Little Birds." Following the performances there will be a Q&A session between the students and the artist. Ziggy will present an Ovation Celebrity Deluxe guitar to Belvedere Middle School, courtesy of Ovation Guitars, a Fender PA courtesy of Fender musical instruments along with a number of other musical gifts.
"For years, Ziggy Marley’s music has celebrated people uniting to make the world a better place. His music is a source of inspiration not only for our students, but also for a wide range of people," said Dave Wish, Executive Director for Little Kids Rock. "We are delighted that he takes time out of his busy schedule to meet with our kids and to show them and all of us in the adult world just how important music education is for kids."
Ziggy Marley is an active member of the organization’s Honorary Board of Directors, and is just one of the musical and philanthropic greats that support Little Kids Rock’s music education efforts. Other Honorary Board members include Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, B.B. King, Jason Newsted, Les Paul, and Brad Delson of Linkin Park.
Little Kids Rock teaches kids how to play pop, rock, reggae, funk, blues, rap and hip-hop music. LKR students not only perform, but they also compose and record their own music. They have released four full-length CDs as well as music videos featuring student-written originals. To date, the Little Kids Rock program has served more than 15,000 students in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington D.C.
About Ziggy Marley
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Ziggy Marley first sat in on recording sessions with his father, Bob Marley, when he was ten years old. Joining with his three siblings to become The Melody Makers, Ziggy crafted his own soulful sound blending blues, R&B, hip-hop and reggae, winning three Grammy Awards. Ziggy released his debut solo album in 2003, Dragonfly, followed up by 2006’s Love Is My Religion.
He has contributed to a variety of soundtracks including 50 First Dates and Shark’s Tale, in which he delved into acting for the first time, playing the character of Bernie, the Jamaican jellyfish. In addition to his skills as a singer, songwriter and producer, Ziggy founded U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization that benefits a wide range of charitable children’s causes in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other developing nations. More recently he has thrown his support behind the Youth AIDS campaign.
About Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock believes that music is a critical component of first-rate education. Many 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 an elementary school teacher in 1996, Little Kids Rock is now serving thousands of students in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington D.C.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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