Students at D.C.’s Bancroft Elementary Playing a Different Tune this Monday as Musical Celebrities and Music Industry Leaders Donate Instruments and Lessons

Celebrity artists including New York Yankee turned Latin GRAMMY-nominated guitarist Bernie Williams and award-winning opera singer Carla Dirlikov, join 41 music industry leaders to donate musical instruments and drum, ukulele and guitar lessons to student’s at D.C.’s Bancroft Elementary School, Monday, May 18. The artists and industry volunteers will teach music lessons to the school’s 75 fifth graders. This day of musical service at the Mount Pleasant neighborhood school kicks off the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) annual D.C. Fly-In, the music industry’s week of advocating for music education support on Capitol Hill.

WHO: New York Yankee turned Latin GRAMMY-nominated guitarist Bernie Williams, award-winning opera singer Carla Dirlikov, NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond, and 40 other music industry leaders to play music with 75 Bancroft Elementary fifth graders.

WHAT: Donation of musical instruments and accessories ($4,000+ in value). Performance by Carla Dirlikov. Uke, guitar and drum lessons for Bancroft Elementary fifth graders (engaging photo and b-roll, interview opportunities).

WHEN: Monday, May 18, 2015. Performance and welcome, 9:15 a.m. Students learning guitar, ukulele and drums, 9:35-11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Bancroft Elementary - 1755 Newton Street NW (Mount Pleasant), Washington, DC 20010

The music will carry on long after Monday thanks to a donation of more than $4,000 worth of musical instrument including UkeBanjos, drums, recorders, cymbals, Boomwhackers and accessories from music stores and manufacturers including Rhythm Band Instruments, D.C.’s Middle C Music, Remo Inc., Deering Banjos, Musical Innovations, Groth Music Company, Spicer’s Music LLC, The Cavanaugh Company, Needham Music, Kala Brand Music Co. and the NAMM Foundation.

The NAMM Foundation will release of a new, nationwide study of 1,000 teachers and 800 parents on music education entitled “Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hope and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education in the United States 2015,” on Tuesday, May 19, 10 a.m. Musical artists including Peter Yarrow to join the study author at this National Press Club-sponsored Newsmaker event. On Wednesday, media is welcome to join artists and leaders of the music products industry on Capitol Hill as they advocate for the power of music education with Members of Congress. Congress is currently considering changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that could affect access to music education for students across the U.S.