The Iconic Coffee Shop Restaurant To Host Music For Music Event Benefitting The VH1 Save The Music Foundation Featuring NYC High School Musicans

NEW YORK, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City's famed Coffee Shop restaurant and its ballroom and lounge will play host to the Music for Music showcase benefitting the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.  The benefit concert will be held in the Union Square Ballroom on Sunday, April 28, 2013, from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, and will feature the extraordinary musical talents of local high school students and the headliner band is AMERICAN AUTHORS. Tickets are $25 per student ticket and $50 per adult ticket. Coinciding with the event, a charity auction will be held featuring donations from famed musicians Paul Simon, Ingrid Michaelson, and Wilco among others. Items will be available to bid online beginning April 12, 2013 at www.charitybuzz.com.  Net proceeds go to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. 

A collaboration between the Coffee Shop and the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, the Music for Music event is an exciting new concert and afternoon music party showcasing talented high school musicians from New York City and headlining band AMERICAN AUTHORS. The inaugural Music for Music performances will include:

American Authors:  Up and coming Brooklyn alt rock band American Authors, made their major musical debut when "a friend of a friend" showed their song "Believer" to the Sirius XM radio station Alt Nation. Grabbing the attention of listeners with their meaningful lyrics and an original sound, they gained momentum and have since signed to Dirty Canvas/Mercury Records.  They have been on multiple tours with such bands as A Silent Film, Goldfields, and Carousel, played South-by-South West and are currently working on their debut album. As American Authors say: "We all have a story to tell and whether it's audible, visual, silence or motion, we can't hide the fact that we are constantly creating new moments to share. We are American Authors." 

Nat & Alex Wolff: Actor/musician brothers who starred in the Nickelodeon television series, The Naked Brothers Band. In 2011, the Wolffs' released Black Sheep, their debut solo album. With multiple upcoming films and a variety of new music on deck, Nat (18) and Alex (15) are slated for a breakout year in 2013. The teens currently reside in NYC.

Claire's Diary: Mixes grunge/punk/surf-rock with "dancey-girl-group" 60s harmonies, along with some feminist riot grrrl inspired lyrics in one delicious serving.  The band (Sophie Rae, Izzy Schappell, Kiri Oliver, and Joey Koneko) played their first show at Slutwalk NYC in October 2011 and released their first recorded track, the theme song for Rookie Magazine, "Suzy's Alright," in October 2011. Claire's Diary released their double single for "Girl Next Door" and "Build Me A Hero" in August 2012 and their first full length LP in February 2013.

The CounterFits:  Having been playing together since 2006 (under the name Call Me 212), band members (Brock Petterson, Cal Freundlich and Hudson McLane) recently added a new drummer (Michael Brittenham) and will debut their new band, The CounterFits, at this event. Trained at the famed Third Street Music School, the ninth graders have previously played audiences at Webster Hall.

The Sectionals: Sofia D'Angelo, Mick Golden, and Cyan Hunte are three fourteen-year-olds with such a passionate love of music that they decided to make their own.  From three different NYC schools, they met at a Lowell's World Young Musicians Showcase at the Underground Lounge and formed the band in October 2012.  A Power Trio – bass, drums and guitar, coupled with strong vocals – they have performed shows at many venues throughout NYC and are currently recording their first EP due out this summer. 

Jack & Eliza:  When the youngest ever winner of the prestigious John Lennon Song Writing Contest (Eliza) asked the main song writer for The Tension and Bleeker St. (Jack) to write some songs, is was supposed to just be for fun…for them.  After sold out shows at Joe's Pub and Le Piosson Rouge, along with a killer debut single ("Motel Home"), and it turns out that it's fun for all.  Look out for their self-titled EP out in late spring. 

All of the program's young musicians are committed to ensuring their peers in NYC public schools have the same opportunities to also pursue and develop a love of music.  The performing students also share a pledge to helping VH1 continue to keep music education at public schools. There is perhaps no better way to assist the VH1 Save the Music program than by raising money during an afternoon of music, fun and community fellowship.   

About VH1 Save The Music Foundation
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. For more information please visit www.vh1savethemusic.org.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting:  http://www.musicformusicfoundation.eventbrite.com

For inquires or additional information, contact Mireya D'Angelo at 917.647.8538 or email [email protected]; Noelle Beck Petterson at 917.714.0569 or email [email protected].

For the VH1 Save The Music Foundation contact:
Nick Carcaterra
Susan Blond, Inc.
212.333.7728 ext.126
[email protected]

SOURCE VH1