Les Paul Foundation Helps 'Little Kids Rock' in NY and Chicago Schools

The Les Paul Foundation awarded Little Kids Rock with a grant that Will Power music education initiatives in public schools over the next year. To further the partnership, the foundation's Executive Director Michael Braunstein visited Lower Manhattan Community Middle School- MS896, a Little Kids Rock school in New York City, on Wednesday, December 11th surprising the students with a delivery of Epiphone Les Paul electric guitars. Simultaneously, supporters of Little Kids Rock's Chicago chapter delivered Epiphone Les Paul electric guitars to Edwards Elementary in Chicago and the young rockers jammed via Skype from nearly 800 miles away! The guitars will be used to augment the successful Little Kids Rock music programs.

Longtime drummer for Billy Joel and Little Kid Rock honorary board member Liberty DeVitto joined the group in New York City and gave students a master class on drumming.

Students in Chicago and New York City learned about Les Paul's contributions to modern music and received T-shirts for their answers to trivia questions. With the help of the Les Paul Foundation and Epiphone Guitar, Little Kids Rock will be able to give kids across the country access to music education. The donation comes as budget cuts are eliminating music programming from public schools nationwide. This donation embodies the spirit and legacy of Les Paul, who was a long-time supporter of music education and an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock before his passing in 2009.

"Les was passionate about working towards transforming children's lives by restoring and revitalizing music education in public schools," said Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation. "Les loved being an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock and I am sure he would be overjoyed at his foundation's support today."

Little Kids Rock is the nation's leading nonprofit provider of free music lessons and instruments to under-served public school districts across the country, currently serving over 118,000 children in 25 cities. The nonprofit organization's curriculum, called "Modern Band," is rooted in teaching kids to perform, improvise and compose the popular musical styles that they know and love, such as pop, rock, hip hop, blues, country, reggae and funk.

"We are so grateful to the Les Paul Foundation for investing in the next generation," says Little Kids Rock Executive Director and Founder, David Wish. "Through their contributions to Little Kids Rock, thousands of kids will receive the lifelong gift of music education, and the legacy of a true rock and roll legend will live on in the music that they learn to play and the successful lives they will lead because of it."