Breaking Even For Best Teen Band!!! (VIDEO)

That's right! I want Breaking Even, the band put together during this year's Kidd Kraddick in the Morning's Rock Camp to win Best Teen Band this year through School Jam USA! Why don't you take the time to vote and make life even cooler for Shreveport's own Matthew Davidson who is the guitar player for Breaking Even? Matthew ROCKS!

This is what Ella, Matthew's mom, sent to me this morning:

MEDIA ALERT

MEDIA CONTACT: Taya Varnichpun—Golin Harris

Public Relations                                                                                                                                     213-438-8715

tvarichpun@golinharris.com

Teen Band Breaking Even to Compete In

SchoolJam USA Teen Battle of the Bands Competition

Competition Aimed at Encouraging Music Making Among Teens and

Helping School Music Programs

Oct. 27, 2011— The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has announced that Breaking Even is competing in the online round of the 2011-2012 SchoolJam USA teen battle of the bands competition.

Starting Nov. 1, Breaking Even will be featured along with teen bands from across the United States at www.schooljamusa.com, where people from the general public are encouraged to vote for their favorite band everyday. Online voting will run through Nov. 30.

The nationwide contest, sponsored by NAMM, is designed to encourage teen bands across the United States to demonstrate their musical talents and enjoy the many proven benefits of making music.

If Breaking Even receives one of the highest eight scores, determined by the public vote and a panel of music judges, they will be invited to perform live along with seven other bands as finalists at the SchoolJam USA finals. The finals will be held during the NAMM Show, one of the largest musical products exhibitions in the world, on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2011, in Downtown Disney located in Anaheim, Calif.

Reinforcing the competition’s mission to encourage active music making among teenagers, all of the eight finalist bands will receive prize money to purchase new gear for their band from a local NAMM Member music products retailer of their choice, as well as additional funding for their school music programs. The winning band will also travel to Europe next year to perform at the 2012 SchoolJam Germany finals in Frankfurt.

“NAMM continues to support the inspiration that playing music can provide teens today through the SchoolJam USA program,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. “Now in its third year, we have seen how this program has continued to showcase the musical talents of teens across the country and support valuable school music education programs that often serve as the gateway for many to play music for a lifetime.”

NAMM-sponsored research has shown the following benefits for kids and teens who play an instrument:

• School music education programs help students achieve in other academic subjects such as math, science and reading
• The vast majority of principals agree that participation in music education encourages and motivates students to stay in school
• Teens see music as their “social glue” and as a bridge for building acceptance and tolerance for people of different ages and cultural backgrounds
• Music-making helps teens release or control emotions, cope with difficult situations, and teaches self discipline
• Making music provides teens with freedom to be themselves; to be different
• Teens associate playing music with music literacy, listening skills, motor ability, eye-hand coordination and heightened intellectual capabilities
• Music provides opportunities in school for engagement as performers, composers and intelligent listeners

SchoolJam is an established music initiative, originally developed by MusikMedia Germany to promote popular and rock music in schools throughout Germany. The program has provided thousands of music-loving young adults with the opportunity to perform and network with their peers, increasing their love for playing music and encouraging them to become active musicians.

In the United States, NAMM has collaborated with many partners and sponsors to produce SchoolJam USA, following two successful years of SchoolJam Texas, produced by NAMM and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in 2007 and 2008, in conjunction with the original SchoolJam in Germany. The SchoolJam USA competition is currently sponsored by NAMM and its promotional partners MENC, School of Rock, Channel One News, In Tune Partners, LLC, TakeLessons, the Vans Warped Tour, the John Lennong Education Tour Bus, Music for All, Drum Corps International, SchoolJam Germany, SupportMusic, and NAMM’s Wanna Play? campaign.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM is the sponsor of the Wanna Play? campaign, a public awareness initiative designed to get more people connected with the proven benefits of playing music. For more information about Wanna Play?, please visit wannaplaymusic.com. For more information about NAMM, please visit namm.org.