Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland Rolls into Chicago & NYC

LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Roland Corporation U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA have announced a Chicago stop on Saturday, May 14 and a New York City stop on May 21st, in conjunction with the national tour of the new Girl Scouts Rock! Initiative, which includes workshops designed to inspire and empower girls through music.

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Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland will reach thousands of Girl Scouts and their parents across the country, delivering the message that you can have a "Better Life with Music." The fun, interactive curriculum co-developed by Roland and Girl Scouts of the USA gets girls pumped up about making music and music education. Girl Scouts Rock! is designed to provide girls ages 8-14 with a hands-on experience playing popular music, an opportunity fewer girls are receiving due to school music budget cuts.

At each workshop, Roland is bringing the Rockin' Roland Girls Band for an electric performance of popular songs to introduce girls to their inner musician and to the instruments they play. Former Girl Scout and Disney star Shelby Spalione, previous lead singer of the all-girl teen rock band KSM, will also be on hand to sing with the Rockin’ Roland Girl’s Band. Spalione, 17, who opened for the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato last year as lead singer of KSM, is currently working on a solo project.

Girls will then be led into break-out sessions featuring activities utilizing Roland's Lucina AX-09 Shoulder Synthesizer, HD-1 V-Drums® Lite, Rock Band 3, an interactive instrument display, and karaoke station. The curriculum is based on the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story –Tell It!, which uses a storytelling theme in fun and relevant ways to help girls understand themselves and their potential.  Building a strong sense of self is an underlying goal of the series, which was made possible by a generous grant from Dove. Roland will also conduct "Better Life with Music" sessions for interested parents and troop leaders, presenting the latest research and information regarding the benefits of music education in the lives of their children.

Post-workshop tools will be available at www.rolandus.com/girlscoutsrock so that councils across the country can access and re-create Girl Scouts Rock! in their own communities. Roland will serve as a liaison between local Girl Scout councils connecting music retailers and teachers to help provide access to instruments and instruction. Best Buy is showing their support of the program by offering four complimentary music lessons and product discounts to every Girl Scout in attendance at the Chicago and New York workshops.

SOURCE Roland Corporation