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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE RECORDING ACADEMY® PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING GIVES BACK WITH "MOORE FROM MUSIC ROW"
Nashville-Area School with Technology and Arts Focus Adds New Recording Studio and Expands Its A/V Facility with Donations and Technical Support from Nashville P&E Wing Members
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 24, 2009) — Leading members of The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing recently took a key role in the ongoing charitable effort, "Moore from Music Row," which assists Nashville's J.T. Moore Middle School in its development of a state-of-the-art A/V facility and offers music/technology mentoring opportunities.
J.T. Moore Middle School is a Nashville Metro Public School with curricula meeting the requirements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization. The school serves nearly 600 students in grades 5-8 from several different neighborhoods, including Nashville's Music Row. As an IB school, J.T. Moore must fulfill technology training requirements, and the school has placed a growing focus on audio/video production and editing. All the school's students take these courses and have shown remarkable aptitude in these fields.
Jill Block, wife of Nashville concert promoter and radio host Billy Block, is one of the founders of the "Moore from Music Row" program. More than a year ago, while visiting J.T. Moore as a possible new school for her son, she was impressed with the school's existing A/V facilities and focus on A/V education and integration. When she learned from school principal Jill Pittman that plans were in the works for an expansion of the school's technology lab, the two realized that Block's industry relationships could be of assistance. With that simple idea, "Moore from Music Row" was initiated, and with further planning from the J.T. Moore Parent-Teacher Organization, efforts began to upgrade the school's technology studio.
The school reached out to the Nashville Chapter of The Recording Academy and its Producers & Engineers Wing, and the local membership was invited to tour the school's existing facility. Excited by the school's programs and the students' talent, the Nashville Chapter's P&E Wing Committee Co-Chairs Ben Fowler and Nick Palladino sent a letter to each of the P&E Wing Committee's members, explaining the program and asking for donations of gear, musical instruments and related equipment, as well as pledges of time for the gear's installation and an ongoing mentorship program. The response was overwhelming, and on Sunday, February 8, 2009, Palladino, Fowler, Jill Block and several special guests and industry veterans gathered to install the gear and celebrate the program.
"We are very happy that we could participate in such a worthwhile cause," said Maureen Droney, Sr. Executive Director of the Producers & Engineers Wing. "It's thrilling that these students will get to benefit from the resources of some of the world's top producers and engineers."
"These are immensely talented and creative kids from all over the Nashville community, and with the new equipment and the P&E Wing's ongoing connection to this program, the potential is expanded even further," said Susan Stewart, Recording Academy South Regional Director. "They're not just learning music and film production; they're learning teamwork, developing new talents and passions and accomplishing goals. It's way bigger than us, and we're lucky the P&E Wing could be involved."
The school's new recording studio will augment the existing video production lab, which currently features 29 separate editing units with Final Cut Express Pro, which is the same software used by professionals at CBS and such collegiate institutions as Belmont University. As class projects, the students are assigned to work in groups to produce short films (a recent project involved short PSAs on issues important to middle schoolers). With each student assigned a different task — producer, director, writer, editor, actor, etc. — the students learn teamwork and real-world skills in a fun, productive, nurturing environment. The introduction of a recording studio facility opens more doors for the students and presents opportunities for the Nashville community to give back.
The new studio's equipment includes a Digidesign® Digi 002 Pro Tools® Mini Studio donated by Digidesign. Additional equipment includes a Yamaha 02R Digital Mixing Console, Furman Power Conditioner, Casio® Keyboard, Alesis Drum Machine, First Act Drum Kit, eight-track digital recorder and an assortment of cables, snakes, microphone stands, guitar stands and road cases.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
Currently, 6,000 professionals comprise the Producers & Engineers Wing, which was established for producers, engineers, remixers, manufacturers, technologists, and other related creative and technical professionals in the recording community. This organized voice for the recording community addresses issues that affect the craft of recorded music, while ensuring its role in the development of new technologies, recording and mastering recommendations, and archiving and preservation initiatives. For more information, please visit www.producersandengineers.com.
Photo File: PE_JTMoore.JPG
Photo Caption: Front L-R: Jill Block, co-founder of the "Moore from Music Row" program; and J.T. Moore principal Jill Pittman. Back L-R: The Recording Academy® Nashville Chapter's P&E Wing Committee Co-Chair Nick Palladino; J.T. Moore technology instructor Brett McGuire; The Recording Academy South Regional Director Susan Stewart; producers/engineers Frank Conway, Gordon Kennedy and Larry Sheridan; Committee Co-Chair Ben Fowler; and producer/engineer Chris Trevett. Photo courtesy of The Recording Academy®. Photo by Frederick Breeden/WireImage.com © 2009.
MEDIA CONTACTS:Robert Clyne/Clyne Media, Inc./615.662.1616/robert@clynemedia.com
Lisa Roy/310.463.1563/lisaroyaudio@mac.com
Jennifer Keppel/The Recording Academy/310.392.3777/jenniferk@grammy.com
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