The VH1 Save The Music Foundation, NAMM & NAfME Honor Senator Rockefeller, Senator Manchin & Randall Reid-Smith With The SupportMusic Award

On Wednesday, March 20^th, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) will present Senator Rockefeller, Senator Manchin and Randall Reid-Smith, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, for their support of music education and leadership during the statewide rebuild of West Virginia music education programs. In a ceremony taking place at the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, D.C. and attended by Vanessa Carlton, Bernie Williams and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, the organizations will present each individual with a SupportMusic Award and guests will be entertained with a performance from a student jazz ensemble from Shepherdstown Middle School, a 2012 VH1 Save The Music Foundation grant recipient.

“Our work in West Virginia has been one of the biggest successes the Foundation has seen,” said Paul Cothran, Vice President & Executive Director of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. “And that success is a testament to the hard work and commitment to music education of our partners. It is a privilege to honor Senator Manchin, Senator Rockefeller and Commissioner Reid-Smith with the SupportMusic Award.”

The SupportMusic Award presentation occurs in concert with NAMM’s annual advocacy fly-in in support of music education. Musicians and 30 leaders in the music instrument and product industry arrive on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 20^th, advocating to Congressional leaders in support of comprehensive music education for all students. March, which is also NAfME’s Music in Our Schools Month, is a critical time when most districts plan budgets for the upcoming scholastic year.

Since 2009, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has given instrumental music education grants to 35 schools in 30 counties throughout West Virginia.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education programs in America’s public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. To date, VH1 Save The Music has provided more than $49.5 million in new musical instruments to 1,850 public schools in more than 192 school districts around the country, impacting the lives of over 2.1 million children. 

Supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs, the NAMM Foundation, advances active participation in music making across the lifespan. The Foundation’s SupportMusic Coalition builds a proactive and unified approach to advocacy for music education, providing resources, policy updates and advocacy materials to music education supporters.

For more information please visit www.vh1savethemusic.org and www.namm.org.