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Roland Announces New Partnership with Playing For Change Foundation
As the “Official Lead Partner” and “Official 10th Anniversary Sponsor,” Roland will support the
Playing For Change Foundation’s initiatives helping to create positive change through music and arts education
Los Angeles, CA, May 11, 2017 — Roland Corporation U.S. announces the formalization of its relationship as “Official Lead Partner” and “Official 10th Anniversary Sponsor” with the Playing For Change Foundation, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive change through music and arts education. The foundation develops and supports school music programs in underserved communities around the world, providing free classes in music, dance and languages that combine cultural traditions with technology. As the first-ever official musical instrument partner of the organization, Roland will work closely with Playing For Change to provide a positive impact on the lives of children, their families and their respective communities.
As part of this partnership, Roland will make its artist relations centers around the world available to the Playing For Change Foundation, to support them with their local events/activities, including supplying Roland, BOSS and V-MODA equipment, assisting them with video content capture and supporting the upcoming Playing For Change Foundation 10th Anniversary celebration.
"We welcome Roland as a key sponsor partner for the Playing For Change Foundation. Not only are they committed to helping us achieve our fundraising goals for PFC Day, their generous contribution of musical instruments will greatly enhance the experience we provide to kids at our PFCF music schools world-wide. We look forward to nurturing and building upon this synergistic relationship," said Whitney Kroenke, Playing For Change co-founder and foundation president.
Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. Their first music video production, "Stand By Me,” combined 35 musicians from 10 countries who had never met in person, and has been viewed around the world over 100 million times online. Roland’s commitment to the Playing For Change Foundation underscores the company’s ongoing initiatives for supporting global music education and the arts through partnering with charitable organizations.
Roland Corporation CEO and Representative Director Jun-ichi Miki added, “Roland believes every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy of making music. Through our alliance with the dedicated team at the Playing for Change Foundation, we aim to make this a reality for children we otherwise may not have been able to reach. This is an exciting partnership for us and one we are all proud to support.”
“From our very first meeting with the Playing For Change Foundation organizers, we knew this was an organization we wanted to partner with,” concluded Brian Alli, Roland Corporation vice president of artist relations and business development. “Playing For Change shares many of our core values and represents such a positive force through music education and the arts, which is more important than ever in our current age. We are proud to be associated with them and look forward to helping these children and their families through music.”
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Photo file: Roland_Playing_for_Change_Group.JPG
Photo caption: Roland’s Chris Halon, VP of marketing; Jay Wanamaker, CEO/president; and Brian Alli, vice president of artist relations and business development with Playing For Change Foundation Executive Director John McKenna (center).About Roland Corporation
Roland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With more than 40 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For more information, visit www.Roland.com or see your local Roland dealer.About Playing For Change Foundation
Playing For Change Foundation was established in 2007, providing music education in areas that are culturally rich yet economically challenged. Children in countries around the world, from Africa, Latin America to Southeast Asia, attend free classes in music, dance and languages, taught by qualified local music teachers and led by regional administrators. Students learn about their own cultural traditions while employing technology to connect and share experiences with others around the world. Playing For Change, led by Co-Founders Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke, arose from the universal belief that music can connect people ?across circumstances, challenges and cultural differences. In 2002, a small group of filmmakers set out with a mobile recording studio in search of inspiration and the heartbeat of the human race on the streets. The first music video production, "Stand By Me,” combined 35 musicians from 10 countries who had never met in person. The phenomenon swept across the world, with “Stand By Me,” one of the Playing For Change productions, being viewed over 100 million times online and counting. The Playing For Change movement has since attracted hundreds of global artists including Sara Bareilles, Jimmy Buffett, Bono, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Ziggy Marley, Keb Mo and Keith Richards, in addition to street musicians from 47 countries who have participated in PFC video recordings. For more information, please visit www.playingforchange.org.
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