HBO Family's Documentary 'The Music In Me' Wins 66th Annual Peabody Award

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, announced today that HBO’s documentary The Music In Me: Children’s Recitals From Classical to Latin, Jazz to Zydeco, which aired for the first time on Oct. 7, 2006, was recently named one of the 35 recipients of the prestigious Peabody Awards for 2007. The program is the first segment of a three-part series of documentaries celebrating the influence of music on children’s lives.

In honor of both organizations’ support of music education for all children, NAMM proudly sponsored the program’s world premiere in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall the night before the program aired.

NAMM and affiliates of the SupportMusic.com coalition salute HBO, executive producer Leslie Stifelman and HBO Executive Producer Sheila Nevins for this prestigious recognition. The SupportMusic.com coalition unites more than 120 organizations that represent concerned Americans looking for ways to provide a complete education that includes music and arts instruction for children in their local schools and communities.

The program combines performance footage and home-video clips to display the stirring and surprising range of musical styles that children across America espouse and embrace. The special celebrates the heart and soul of dedicated young musicians everywhere, and the power of music to make us all feel more alive.

Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards, said, “The aim of the Peabody Awards is to demonstrate the excellence possible in these media. We hold up our selections as examples of what can and should be done in the worlds of journalism, entertainment, documentary, education and public service.” The announcement on April 4 included the following citation:

“What better way to inspire the study of music than with this irresistible collection of artfully photographed vignettes of young musicians, ages 7 to 11, playing everything from classical cello to zydeco accordion.”

The Wall Street Journal wrote that The Music In Me was “a compelling film… [which] reassures us that the joy and satisfaction of actually playing and singing music are still important elements of childhood.”

In a story about the show published in the New York Times, Sheila Nevins, president of HBO Documentary and Family, said:

“We were trying to find a way to bring classical music to kids without using child prodigies. We wanted to use dignified, strong music and bring it to everyone.”

Part 2 of The Music In Me: A Family Special will air nationally on June 16, 2007, on HBO’s premium channel and on HBO Family after the first showing.