03/02

In this issue of VH1 Save The Music News!

VH1 Save The Music Celebrates Music In Our Schools Month Across The Country

VH1 Excels At Beacon Awards

First Lady Shares Music With Elementary School Children

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VH1 Save The Music Celebrates Music In Our Schools Month Across The Country

The month of March is nationally designated as "Music In Our Schools Month," during which educators, students and citizens focus on the history and value of music in our nations’ schools. In celebration of this month, VH1 Save The Music and its affiliate partners are presenting concerts and participating in state music advocacy days.

Just this past week, Music In Our Schools Month programs were held in Houston, Texas; San Diego, California; Springfield, Illinois; Sacramento, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Next Week's upcoming events include:

3/18/02 10:30 a.m., Philadelphia Public Schools Music In Our Schools Month Celebration in the Atrium of the Creative and Performing Arts High School. Event featuring a performance by VH1 Save The Music/Comcast Grant Recipient School, Fulton Elementary, interspersed with Music Education Advocacy messages. Local partners include Comcast Cable Communications and the Philadelphia Public Schools.

3/19/02 10:00 a.m., Greenville Music In Our Schools Month Celebration in the Auditorium of Parker Academy. Event featuring performances by Alexander Elementary School, Tanglewood Middle School, Parker Academy and the Greenville County Youth Orchestra. Local partners include Charter Communications and Pecknel Music.

3/20/02 12:00 p.m., Wisconsin Music Educators Association Capitol Concerts 2002 in the State Capitol Rotunda. Event featuring a performance by Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School, a Milwaukee elementary school whose instrumental music program was restored by VH1 Save the Music and Time Warner Cable. Local partners include the Wisconsin MEA and Time Warner Cable.

3/21/02 10:00 a.m., VH1 Save the Music and Adelphia Music in Our Schools Month Event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Event featuring Mayor Jane Campbell and a performance by an ensemble from Forest Hill Parkway Academy, an instrumental music program restored by VH1 Save the Music and Adelphia Cable. Local partner is Adelphia Cable.

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VH1 Excels At Beacon Awards

VH1 received more Beacon Awards than any other network at this year's awards ceremony on March 12 in Washington, DC. The 2002 Beacon Awards were sponsored by the Cable Television Public Affairs Association and Multichannel News.

VH1 was honored for the following programs:

Outstanding Community Activity by a Cable Network: The Concert for New York City in support of the relief efforts in response to the tragedy of 9/11

Outstanding Full Education Campaign, Single Activity by a Cable Network: VH1 Save The Music for the restoration of music programs in the entire Buffalo Public School System in partnership with Adelphia.

Outstanding Government Affairs Campaign by a Cable Network: VH1 Save The Music: National Government Relations Campaign for Music Education

Outstanding Community Campaign Series by a Local System: Time Warner Cable/VH1 Save The Music - Milwaukee Public Schools Partnership

Cablevision Systems also won a Beacon for The Concert for New York City for Outstanding Community Activity by an MSO

Our own John Sykes was honored with the President's Award in recognition of VH1's leadership in the area of industry public affairs. The VH1 programs that were cited include: The Concert for New York City, VH1/American Red Cross PSA Campaign, Race to Erase MS, VH1 Music Studio (cable in the classroom), Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America and VH1 Save The Music.

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First Lady Shares Music With Elementary School Children

By Bill Baskervill, Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) First lady Laura Bush played a snare drum with fifth-grade musicians Monday and later contrasted their freedom of education to the harsh restrictions of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"Don't take your education for granted," she told the 12 musicians in Pamela Smith's music class at Westover Hills Elementary School.

She said that since the Taliban was forced out of power girls can return to school.

"I hope you grow up and help children like those in Afghanistan," she said.

Her half-hour stop at the school came at the invitation of 11-year-old Rashad Davis, whom she met at the National Book Festival in Washington last September.

Mrs. Bush sat or stood by Rashad during the concert, clicking sticks with Rashad and playing the drum while taking cues from the youngster.

"I wasn't quite prepared to play in concert," she said. "That was fun."

The former elementary school teacher in Texas told the students that music education is important because it teaches discipline.

Veronica Davis, Rashad's mother, told Mrs. Bush that her visit with the children "helps them aspire to a higher level."

"That's what we hope for every child," the first lady said.

Among those greeting Mrs. Bush was Naomi Davis, 81, of Hampton, Rashad's great-grandmother. Davis said she met Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s and it was a thrill for her to shake hands with another first lady.

"I feel very fortunate to have done that," she said. Rashad said Mrs. Bush was "very nice. She plays the drums pretty well."

Principal Jacqueline Roberts said the first lady's visit did not disrupt the school's regular schedule as it prepares for the state-required Standards of Learning tests this spring.

"We're getting ready for a huge SOL test and we're as focused as ever," she said.

Later Monday, Mrs. Bush helped dedicate a community health information center at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. The center features Internet access, a library and patient teaching area.

"Richmond is now home to one of the largest and most comprehensive hospital-based health libraries in the country," Mrs. Bush said.

She took no questions from reporters at either stop and did not mention that Monday marked six months since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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The VH1 Save The Music initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America's public schools by restoring and supporting music programs in cities across the country, and by raising public awareness about the importance of music participation for our Nation's youth.

Visit our Website at http://vh1.com/insidevh1/savethemus