Fender Joins supportmusic.com Alliance to Help Grow Music Education Programs in Schools

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is the first manufacturer to join the Music Education Coalition in the burgeoning effort to restore music education to grade school programs.

Fender, through its education program, is signing on with the Coalition, an entity formed by NAMM, the International Music Products Association, and MENC, the National Association for Music Education. The musical instrument company is now an affiliate of SupportMusic.com, which provides information for the largest initiative ever in support of school music programs.

The Fender Education Program was founded by Chairman and CEO Bill Schultz in 2002 and is headed by Fender’s Director of Education, Bob Morris. Fender now provides music and instruments to thousands of students throughout the country.

Then-public school teacher Bob Morris’ grassroots initiative started in 1996 when he decided to teach guitar to his class in Las Vegas. Student response was so enthusiastic that Morris soon expanded the program to schools throughout Nevada’s Clark County, reaching approximately 40 schools in three years. The program, in which teachers are on trained how to incorporate guitar instruction into their classrooms, was enormously successful and provided music education to students at a low cost. Fender became involved energetically, first by supporting the purchase of entry-level guitars and, later, by hiring Bob Morris to work full-time on his program, handling national outreach from Fender’s headquarters.

“Music programs are often the first to be sacrificed when school budgets are cut,” Morris said. “So I’m both surprised and gratified by the warm reception the guitar education program is having throughout the country. And I’m grateful to Fender for providing me so much assistance. Now that we’ve become an affiliate of SupportMusic, I’m hopeful that the additional information and networking will increase our outreach and impact even more students.”

“We applaud Bill Schultz and Fender for their proactive efforts to strengthen music instruction through their own program and by their decision to affiliate with SupportMusic,” said NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “It’s good for the students—getting access to music in schools—and it’s good for our members too—increasing their competitive advantage and helping them sell more instruments and accessories.”

Because of the positive impact of music education, the federal government named music a “core academic subject” alongside reading, writing and arithmetic in the No Child Left Behind Act (the controlling Federal education legislation). Even so, thousands of school boards across the country are implementing unprecedented and massive budget cutbacks. Parents and other interested community members know from experience that music is often the first program to be sacrificed. And even at current levels, about 60 percent of children in grades K-12 may be deprived of a meaningful education in music. It is critical for parents and educators to know how to fight back and restore and maintain school music programs. The resources needed to keep music in schools are available at www.SupportMusic.com.

ABOUT FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORTATION
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is the world's foremost manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers and related equipment. Since 1946, the name Fender has become synonymous with all things rock and roll, from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton to Kurt Cobain and everything in between. Fender's iconic instruments such the Telecaster®, Stratocaster®, Precision Bass® and Jazz Bass® guitars are known the world over as the instruments that started the rock revolution, and they continue to be highly prized among today's hottest guitarists and collectors alike. Corporate headquarters are located in Scottsdale, Ariz., with manufacturing headquarters and the world-renowned Fender Custom Shop in Corona, Calif. FMIC markets using the brand names Fender®, Squier®, Guild®, Benedetto®, Gretsch®, Jackson®, Charvel®, SWR®, Tacoma®, Olympia®, Orpheum®, Papoose®, Floyd Rose® and Rodriguez®. For more information, contact Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, 8860 E. Chaparral Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, (480) 596-9690, or visit our Web site at www.fender.com

ABOUT SUPPORTMUSIC.COM
www.SupportMusic.com is the source of information for the largest initiative ever in support of school music programs. Dedicated to inspiring action to support music education, the initiative offers resources to parents and educators to help them impact decision-makers to provide the funding, teachers and equipment needed for music education.

To find out how your organization can help keep music in schools, log on to www.SupportMusic.com.