Bernie Williams and Scott Grimes Share Their Passion for Music on Capitol Hill

On March 28, New York Yankees legend and Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist Bernie Williams, along with TV star and “Band from TV“ keyboardist Scott Grimes will be in Washington, D.C. advocating on Capitol Hill on behalf of school music education programs in public schools and the benefits that playing music can have for children and teens. Each year the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) sponsors public figures to go to Washington, D.C. to share their passion for music making with Members of Congress and their staff to assure that federal education policy and laws include access to music and arts education for all children.

“Research shows conclusively that kids who participate in quality music education programs do better in school and in life,” said NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “There is transforming power in playing music—it has been shown to improve academic performance in mathematics and other disciplines. We just have to do better for the children and young people in America – and music is a critical part of a complete education that must be available to all children.”

Research specifically shows that playing an instrument positively affects the development of children's cognitive skills, builds confidence, self-discipline and inspires creativity. Playing music can help to increase productivity and help kids and teens connect socially with their peers. Music education is vital for children to reach their full academic and social potential.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies located in more than 52 countries. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.