Guitars in the Classroom Announces Online Auction with

Playing For Change and Music Industry Leaders

In a groundbreaking collaborative effort to support free music training programs for teachers and children, music products industry leaders C.F. Martin & Co., D'Addario & Co, Samick Music Corp., Godin Guitars, KAMAN, Levy's Leathers, Luna Guitars, Paul Reed Smith, American Music and Sound, Washburn Guitars, and Peak International are partnering with NAMM grantee Guitars in the Classroom for a two week celebrity-signature studded online auction! The auction also marks a first collaboration between Guitars in the Classroom and the Playing For Change Foundation whose mission is connecting the world through music by providing resources to musicians and their communities around the world. GITC and PFCF are calling this auction "Playing For Change & Education." It will run from October 24^th thru November 7^th, 2010 and can be found here: www.PlayingForChangeandEducation.com

When approached with the opportunity to help GITC and Playing for Change rise to meet

Yvonne DeVilliers

the challenges of providing free services in the current economic down-turn, music products industry leaders jumped into action. Yvonne DeVilliers, the inspirational designer of Luna Guitars expressed her enthusiasm for aiding these organizations. "Both programs are in the trenches helping real people from diverse cultures feel the power of music as THE universal language and as a source of joyful, creative expression. Now, more than ever, we need to transcend barriers and connect people by making music together. " Harvey Levy of Levy's Leathers concurs, "Learning to play a musical instrument represents learning in its purest form and for that reason should be part of any institution that proposes to teach children."

Paul Damiano

KMC Music's Paul Damiano, a strong and longtime supporter of music education invokes the "better angels of our nature" when he says, "We as an industry need to jump in and do our best to put making music into the lives of kids! No single company in the musical instrument business has the resources to do this alone, but together, with everyone contributing to programs like GITC, we can move the needle, and make a real difference!" Dick Boak of C.F. Martin adds, "As an industry, if we don't continuously initiate and engage new generations of musicians, who will be buying our guitars? Helping with a tried and true program like GITC may just provide the seed needed for a genuine national comittment to music in our schools."

Dick Boak

The founders of GITC and Playing for Change came together in recent months after being introduced by members of the United Nation's committee called "Music as a Natural Resource," a group dedicated to improving the quality of life in developing and developed nations through music. Anthony Rich from the Playing for Change Foundation and Jessica Baron of Guitars in the Classroom were recently featured speakers at the UN event at the National Arts Club in New York City to launch the Compendium.  Representatives from both C.F. Martin and D'Addario were on hand to represent the MI's role in promoting music, and they received a rousing round of applause from diplomats, dignitaries, and agency leaders for their role spreading music around the country and the world.

Whitney Kroenke of The Playing For Change Foundation

Says Whitney Kroenke of The Playing For Change Foundation, "Connecting with an organization as extraordinary as GITC is a dream come true.  We are committed to extending the reach of the PFCF around the globe, and are confident that a partnership with GITC can help us share our belief that peace and change are possible through the universal language of music".

GITC's Founder and Executive Director Jessica Baron concurs; "Working with our good friends at the Playing for Change Foundation is an inspirational experience. They have captured the imaginations and are awakening the hopes of people all over the world to promote peace through music, and their schools in developing nations are forging new musical pathways everyday. We are proud to fly our banner alongside theirs with this auction."

Two of the Items offered in the Auction: Luna Blue Dolphin Guitar (Signed by Jack Johnson, Jake Shimabukuro) & Martin Sustainable Wood Series Guitar (Signed by Jackson Browne)

Featured in the auction are instruments signed by internationally-acclaimed artists such as Jack Johnson, Jake Shimabukuro, Jackson Browne, and others. Non-signed instruments in the auction include premium acoustic & electric guitars from partnering manufacturers in the Music Products Industry. In addition to the wide selection of music-related items, visitors will also find signed sports memorabilia from top athletes in the NBA and NHL such as Carmelo Anthony and Matt Statsny (respectively). Guitars in the Classroom and Playing for Change re-kindled partnerships and forged new ones in order to bring the bidder a truly wide arrangement of interesting and unique items.

Since 1998, Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) has been inspiring, training and equipping classroom teachers to integrate music making across the academic curriculum through "song-based instruction" so students of all ages have educational, musical access and opportunity at school every day. Guitars in the Classroom's work prepares educators and specialists to lead music, confidently employing it as a dynamic tool for reaching all learners, teaching all subjects, and building character, creativity and community. For further information or to get involved, please contact GITC at 760-452-6123 or go online at www.guitarsintheclassoom.org.

The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is dedicated to connecting the world through music by providing resources (including, but not limited to facilities, supplies, and educational programs) to musicians and their communities around the world. By providing a safe place to learn and flourish, PFCF schools offer a positive alternative to the struggles that many children face daily. The mentorship and guidance the students receive from musicians and teachers provides a strong foundation for them to grow and thrive. For further information or to get involved, please visit www.PlayingForChange.org

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10-19-10