Groundwork Music Project Presents Family Fun Fest & More 10/17

Groundwork Music Project is hosting an afternoon of music and fun at Nutty Brown Café on Sunday, October 17th from 4 to 7 p.m. Musical guests include the Groundwork Music Orchestra with special guests Ben Kweller, Guy Forsyth, Sarah Sharp, Wammo, and others, performing children's songs written by the Groundwork Music Orchestra and its many guests. The event will be a CD release for the new recording, Introducing the Groundwork Music Orchestra. There will also be children's games, a bouncy castle, face painting and balloon animals.

Groundwork Music Project enhances the lives of children by providing free and low cost music classes to preschools with limited means. These programs provide the musical activities that are essential to healthy development across a broad spectrum: emotional, cognitive, social and more. The mission of the Groundwork Music Project is simple: to provide music education to young children who could not otherwise afford it.

Neal Kassanoff, the founder of Groundwork Music Project has developed a cannon of songs that he has used for many years in the preschool classroom. As the new recording demonstrates, songs that reach young children can also have universal appeal. The material is diverse, whimsical and loyal to the elements of good songwriting, with material co-written by Kassanoff and Ben Kweller, as well as great playing from Guy Forsyth, David Garza, Andrew Nafziger and others.

Introducing the Groundwork Music Orchestra is a music lesson of sorts for children in preschools all over Austin. The songs are designed to generate musical activity in young children. The emphasis on movement in songs like Jump and Clap Your Hands help children to learn rhythm. The variety of scales and the mix of instruments bring children in contact with the tonal aspects of music. The recording will be distributed free of charge in all Austin area preschools that have worked with Groundwork Music Project.

By meeting the fundraising goals of this event, Groundwork will be able to continue to maintain its presence in several Austin area schools where programs have been provided over recent years. The programs has reached hundreds of children since its founding in 2006. With support from the community it will reach thousands in the years to come.

For more information on Groundwork Music Project, please visit groundworkmusic.org.