Music Sensation Nick Jonas of the Platinum Selling, Grammy Nominated, Jonas Brothers, Teams Up With Quaker Chewy in Search of the Next Young Superstar

CHICAGO, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, the superstar of snacks, is teaming up with music producer and recording artist, Nick Jonas, to launch a new nationwide singing competition to find the next young superstar.  This competition, known as the Quaker Chewy Superstar Search, was created to give parents of young people with big voices a platform to showcase their child's vocal talents.  

The Quaker Chewy Superstar Search kicks off on June 8th when parents or legal guardians of children ages 8-14 can work with their kids to record a performance and upload it to enter at www.ChewySuperstar.com.  The winner of the Quaker Chewy Superstar Search will get to record a song produced by Nick Jonas, an online music video, a contract with Jonas Group Management and $5,000 in cash.
 

"Making music is my passion in life and the best way I know how to express myself," said Nick Jonas, who started his music career at age seven before rising to stardom with The Jonas Brothers and Nick Jonas and the Administration. "I wanted to be part of the Quaker Chewy Superstar Search to help other young musicians make music and follow their dreams."

Along with Nick Jonas, Quaker Chewy has joined forces with the non-profit organization Little Kids Rock to make music education more accessible in schools across the nation.  As the only national non-profit, rock and pop-oriented music program in the U.S. public schools, Little Kids Rock focuses on ensuring every public school student has an opportunity to experience music education.

"We believe that the future of our world lies not in our children's hands but rather in their creativity, and the Chewy Superstar Search is a great platform for children to express their musical talents," says Little Kids Rock's founder, David Wish. "Music inspires self-expression and confidence in children and empowers them to become creative thinkers and problem-solvers. These skills are critical to their success in school and in their daily lives."

Introducing the Chewy Superstar Search

Beginning June 8th through August 5th, parents or legal guardians of children ages 8-14 can enter the Quaker Chewy Superstar Search by simply recording a performance of their child singing a designated portion of one of four pre-selected songs.  The songs and entry form can be found on www.ChewySuperstar.com where the performance must be uploaded for submission.

Performances can also be recorded onboard the Quaker Chewy Mobile Recording Studio, a one-of-a-kind recording studio on wheels.  This vehicle will hit the road this summer and visit eight cities across America to give parents and kids a unique opportunity to record a performance in-studio.  Videos recorded at the Mobile Recording Studio will be emailed to each participant which they can then upload as their submission to www.ChewySuperstar.com.

A panel of judges will evaluate the performances, and select five finalists based on vocal performance, showmanship and overall performance aesthetics.  Once the five finalists are selected, America will have a chance to vote for their favorite contestant.  The child with the most votes will be named the Quaker Chewy Superstar.

"Quaker Chewy believes that every child should have a chance to shine," said Bill Fiely, director of Quaker Snack Bars. "We launched the Chewy Superstar Search as a way to help give parents and kids a stage and to nourish their play. With the help of Nick Jonas and Little Kids Rock, we hope to inspire children to pursue their musical dreams."

Visit www.ChewySuperstar.com for more details about the Chewy Superstar Search Contest and Official Rules. There is no purchase necessary to enter.

About Jonas Group:

Jonas Group is a full-service management and multi-media company. Jonas Group Management, represents such artists as the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Jordin Sparks.  JG New Media & Marketing develops and executes traditional and nontraditional marketing strategies with top brands and artists. Media ventures include ownership in a leading teen and young adult platform, Cambio. Jonas Group CEOs are Kevin Jonas Sr. and Phil McIntyre.

For Nick Jonas, please contact:
Victor Trevino
M2M Construction
[email protected]

About Little Kids Rock

 Little Kids Rock is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that transforms children’s lives by restoring and revitalizing music education in public schools. Little Kids Rock was founded in San Francisco in 2002 by David Wish, an elementary school teacher who had grown frustrated with the lack of music education funding at his school. Today, Little Kids Rock is one of the leading nonprofit providers of free lessons and instruments to underprivileged children in US public schools, and has served more than 160,000 students at over 1,200 schools in 25 cities nationwide. Every child deserves the right to rock. Find out how you can get involved at www.littlekidsrock.org.

About Quaker Foods & Snacks

Quaker Foods & Snacks, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding No. 1 positions in their respective categories, Quaker Oats, Quaker Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.  Follow PepsiCo:

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SOURCE Quaker Foods & Snacks