Casio Supports Music Education With Keyboard Donation To Berklee City Music®
Privia Digital Pianos, Lighted Key Keyboards and Trackformers Provide Learning Opportunity for Youth
DOVER, N.J., Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc., a leading consumer electronics manufacturer, is proud to announce that it has donated more than 100 electronic musical instruments to 10 Berklee City Music Network® locations across the country. The donated instruments, including PX-135 and PX-150 Privia pianos as well as LK-260 lighted key keyboards and more will be used in music programs to enable youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically and socially.
"Thanks to Casio's generous support of Berklee City Music, thousands of young people across North America will now have even more access to the instruments needed to pursue the creation of popular music," said Dr. Lee Whitmore, Vice President of Education Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship at Berklee College of Music. "We are proud to work with Casio to help develop the next generation of music makers, and look forward to finding more ways that our two organizations can work together in the future."
Berklee City Music Network® is a consortium of 47 community organizations, committed to the City Music mission, that serve over 29,000 students in the United States and Canada each year. The network consists of out-of-school time programs that receive access to the Berklee PULSE Music Method®, as well as other resources and support from Berklee College of Music.
The locations that are a part of the donation efforts include:
- A Place Called Home – Los Angeles, California
- Tipitina's Foundation – New Orleans, Louisiana
- Project MuszEd – North Hollywood, California
- Boys & Girls Harbor – New York, New York
- Sarah McLachlan School of Music – Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)
- The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Woodlawn Musical Arts, Entertainment and Industry Program at Audiostate 55 – Birmingham, Alabama
- Berklee City Music – Boston, Massachusetts
- East Bay Center for the Performing Arts – Richmond, California
- Project RYTMO – Anaheim, California
"Music is a very powerful outlet for today's youth to not only express themselves in a positive way, but also to help develop critical thinking skills, sharpen the memory and much more," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instrument Division. "We are proud to support a dedicated organization like Berklee City Music and we're excited to bring our electronic musical instruments to its music programs, enabling the musicians of the future to go beyond sound."
To learn more about Casio's music education initiatives and full portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com.
About Casio America, Inc.
Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com.
About Berklee City Music®
Berklee City Music® is a non-profit organization that leverages the power of contemporary music to empower youth from underserved communities to develop musically, academically, socially, and emotionally. Founded over 20 years ago by Berklee College of Music, the organization reaches over 58,000 students annually through a variety of programs and initiatives including City Music Network, City Music Boston, Amp Up NYC, and the innovative PULSE® online music method. By using culturally relevant music as a vehicle for holistic youth development, Berklee City Music helps young people flourish as students, musicians, and—perhaps most importantly—confident and well-rounded individuals ready to shape the world.
SOURCE Casio America, Inc.
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