The Lights Shine A Little Brighter For Aspiring Young Artists

DOVER, N.J., Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Growing up, how many of you noted "rock star" as the answer to the proverbial question:  what do you want to be when you grow up?  All you could do was dream about making it big by doing what you loved – playing music.  Unfortunately, for many, the dream of getting a record deal, selling out a stadium, etc. is just that, a dream.  Putting talent aside, the reason the dream doesn't come true (many times) is out of our control.  Like the fact that music education classes are being cut due to decreased school budgets or the lack of access to instruments. In spite of all this, the dream of aspiring young artists is still very much alive.

Casio, a worldwide leader in the manufacture of consumer electronics, believes in the importance of fostering young musical minds and helping them to achieve their goals.  As such, the company has set out on a mission to help young artists by working with like-minded organizations who also believe in the mission of providing opportunity to those who are the future of music. So far this year, Casio has embarked on three initiatives in particular - "Up and Comers," GRAMMY Camp – Basic Training and The Songwriters.  As part of these initiatives, the company has provided multiple levels of support via product and monetary donations.

"Music plays such an important role in life and as a manufacturer of high-quality keyboards, it is paramount we do all we can to help these young people try and achieve their goals," said Stephen Schmidt, vice president of Casio's Electronic Musical Instruments Division. "Our ultimate goal is to 'Go Beyond Sound' by enabling aspiring musicians to express themselves and enjoy music like never before."

Additionally, Casio will host Beyond Sound II at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on September 11, 2012 to celebrate the evolution of its popular Privia line of digital pianos and the progress the company has made in the musical instrument category. The event will kick off with a press conference highlighting the new Privia models and feature performances from ENFERNO, Karmin and Tom Brislin.

"Up and Comers"
As part of the "Up and Comers" program, Casio is providing keyboards to up-and-coming artists whose goals include a career in music. Some of the current participants of the program include Fallen Riviera, Karmina and Ali Isabella.  Fallen Riviera, a band composed of four members, whose sound has been compared to U2 and Coldplay, has been building a loyal fan base playing at clubs and touring. Their album "Six Mines" was ranked album of the year by Music Connection Magazine and they were awarded the 2011 Lauren Picard Emerging Artist of the Year Award at Cornell University. In April, Fallen Riviera embarked on a massive college tour in support of their upcoming EP which includes the singles "This is Who I Am", "Drained."  Casio provided funding for their music video for, "This is Who I Am", which is available on YouTube™ and CasioMusicGear.com.

Ali Isabella is a talented 16 year old songwriter, whose first album was released in the UK in February and reached #13 in the hot disc charts and is still in the charts. Ali became the youngest ever to appear at London's Wembley Arena and also performed at the pre-GRAMMY party honoring Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. She is performing regularly with her band. Her single is featured in radio play across Europe and airplay is growing rapidly in the US. Isabella's U.S. album "Say You'll Be Mine" was released in June on AIX Records.

Karmina is a sister duo that uses Casio's Privia in their performances. Sisters Kelly and Kamille Rudisill write, sing, produce and perform original music, which can be heard on such major television shows as CSI: NY, 90210, The Hills and The Cleaner. Wrapping up 2011 with a two-month UK/EU Apple store tour and a US West Coast tour, the sisters continue to play nationally and internationally.

GRAMMY Camp – Basic Training
GRAMMY Camp – Basic Training (formerly GRAMMY^® Career Day) is a nationally-recognized program that provides high school students with insight into the vast number of career paths the music industry has to offer. The annual event, which took place in NYC on May 8, 2012, included workshops and allowed students to interact with professionals from a wide range of music careers.  As part of their participation in the program, Casio awarded four students with Privia keyboards through the Student Instrument Program. This program awards students with instruments to help ensure that they continue their musical education after high school. Students are nominated by their high school teachers, and all submissions are reviewed by an appointed committee of music industry professionals. 

The Songwriters
The Songwriters is a music program that searches for the best writers and their original songs. The tour traveled to 30 music stores across eight different states. Winners were chosen at each tour stop, and fan voting took place to find the best songwriters. The grand prize winner received a BMG Management contract offer with BGM Management Group from Nashville, TN, a Professional Mastered Recording of their song produced by GRAMMY Award Winner Brad Davis and finally a Single Song Music Entertainment Records Recording Contract.  Casio provided a monetary donation to help support the program.

For additional information about #beyondsound and #turnupyournoise on Casio's electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com.

For information regarding Casio's up-and-coming artists, please visit: http://casiomusicgear.com/artists/

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.

SOURCE Casio America, Inc.