The VH1 Save The Music Foundation Presents: Family Day

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, October 22nd, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation will host a family fun-day open to the public at the Anderson School at 100 West 77th Street in New York. The free daylong festival will run from 10AM to 4PM and feature performances by Mat Kearney, HANSON, Hot Peas 'N Butter, SafetySuit, The American Secrets a.k.a. the freecreditscore.com Band and Brianna Kahane. The VH1 Save The Music Family Day aims to give children of all ages a stage to express their love of music, culture and creativity through an exciting interactive musical expo for families. Proceeds from the event will  help ensure that music is firmly a part of the core curriculum in public schools.

Throughout the day, friends and families will have the opportunity to play, learn, share and celebrate music in ways that will delight both your children and your inner child. As you enter the school parking lot you will be met by a street vendor food showcase, presented by the NY Food Truck Association, where you can grab a bite from the CupcakeStop, Eddie's Pizza Truck, Frying Dutchman and Milk Truck Grilled Cheese. Continuing through the musical expo, you will find colorful Arts & Crafts stations by Bash the Trash and Chalkboard Tees and live performances from some of today's most recognizable artists.

The event will also feature a number of interactive activities including: a "Welcome to the Jungle" instrument discovery zone where kids get to try out band and string instruments and learn the basics of playing a guitar while receiving musical cues from members of The freecreditscore.com Band.  Other activities include Rock 'N Read Story Time presented by Simon + Schuster Children's Publishing, Juice Box Rated Workshops including a "Getting To Know..." Broadway experience dedicated to introducing the next generation of fans to the classic, beloved musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein, a "The Whole World is Singing My Song" workshop, presented by the Mizzy Jonas Family Foundation, designed to provide kids with an engaging way to express themselves through songwriting and to teach them the fundamentals of a good musical performance, a "We Got the Beat" drum circle, presented by NAMM, where families can learn the history of drumming along with simple techniques to participate in a drum circle, a "Pleased to Meet You" meet-and-greet with most famous animated character, SpongeBob SquarePants, presented by Nickelodeon's The Big Help, a "Music-Themed  Puppet Show," presented by Plum Organics, a "Don't Forget the Lyrics" karaoke station where you can select a song, step into the spotlight and sing along as the lyrics are projected on a screen, a student performance celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the West Side Story, a "Tattoo You" airbrush and glitter tattoo station, provided by We Adorn You, a "Rolling on the River" stroller valet where you can check your stroller and opportunities for kids to scratch, beat box, rhyme and much more!

"We are very excited for the 2011 Family Day musical expo," said Paul Cothran, Executive Director of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. "It is an honor to have such amazing performers and sponsors supporting the Foundation. Their generosity will help us continue to raise awareness about the importance of music education in our nation's schools."

Mat Kearney, SafetySuit, HANSON, Hot Peas 'N Butter, The American Secrets a.k.a. the freecreditscore.com band and Brianna Kahane will all shed light on the importance of music education as they perform throughout the event. Kearney recently released his third studio album, Young Love (Universal Republic), to huge fanfare.  It clocked in at #4 on Billboard's Top 200, #1 on the Digital Albums Chart and spent a week as the #1 Album on iTunes.  The new album also produced a hit single with "Hey Mama," which is currently climbing the radio charts and the video can be seen often on VH1. HANSON has been making music together for nearly two decades, introducing a soul-inspired brand of American pop-rock'n'roll to the world. HANSON had great success with their fifth studio album Shout It Out released in 2010, featuring fan-favorite debut single Thinking 'Bout Somethin', and a recent VH1 #1 video on their latest single Give A Little. They are currently on a world tour, which takes them throughout the US, Latin America, Europe and the UK. Hot Peas 'N Butter take an unconventional approach to music, by combining an interactive, invigorating approach to performance with mature, multicultural music. They have developed a distinct way of inspiring care and creativity in kids and adults alike, winning the 2006, 2008 and the 2009,"Parent's Choice Awards." SafetySuit are wrapping up a string of shows with The Script and gearing up for the November 1st release of their highly anticipated new album These Times, which features hook-filled lead single "Let Go" (produced by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder). Prodigy violinist, Brianna Kahane, has been playing the violin for only four years and at just nine years old, she was accepted in to The Juilliard School in New York City. Brianna has also started her own foundation, The Brianna Kahane Charitable Foundation, dedicated to healing the world one song at a time. The American Secrets have something to be proud of after beating out more than 100 other hopeful bands in a nationwide search to be named The freecreditscore.com Band. They have impressed audiences around the country with their pop rock style, original songs and tongue-in-cheek humor.

2011 VH1 Save The Music Foundation Family Day participants include: Bash the Trash, Chalkboard Tees, CupcakeStop, Eddie's Pizza Truck, The Frying Dutchmen, The Harlem School of the Arts, Karaoke Specialist, Kids of Broadway, Milk Truck Grilled Cheese, The Little Orchestra Society, The NYC Food Truck Association, Nickelodeon's The Big Help, Pirate Brands, Plum Organics, Sam Ash Music Stores, Simon & Schuster, Smilebooth, Sweet Soul Yoga, Taylor Guitars, The Voca People, Tracey Delio and "The Secret Adventures of Louie V",  and We Adorn You.

The musical expo is in partnership with Parenting Magazine and Vh1 and sponsored by freecreditscore.com, State Farm Insurance, JetBlue Airways, Vh1, pediped®, NAMM, The Harlem School of The Arts, The Mizzy Jonas Family Foundation, Old Navy, Apple & Eve, Skinny Water and The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, The Anderson School and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.  

For more information on Family Day and how you can get involved please visit: www.vh1savethemusic.com.

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 $47 million in new musical instruments to 1,750 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of over 1.6 million children.  Current VH1 Save The Music Ambassadors include Amber Riley, Ciara, Jewel, John Legend, John Mayer, Jordin Sparks, Mathew Morrison, Kristin Chenoweth, Lifehouse and Sara Bareilles. Get involved at www.vh1savethemusic.com and follow us on twitter @vh1savethemusic.

SOURCE VH1