For Immediate Release
LES PAUL INSPIRES ROCKIT! LIVE FOUNDATION
The Les Paul Foundation Grant Awarded to Educate Students on The Father of Modern Music
RED BANK, NEW JERSEY – October 8, 2018 – The Rockit Live Foundation is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Les Paul Foundation through a grant awarded to educate their students, at the Count Basie Center for the Arts, with a course of study regarding the life and legacy of the musician, innovator, Les Paul.
Students will participate in 5 weeks of intensive study with the Rockit Academy’s faculty, plus assistance from Les Paul’s former trio led by Lou Pallo (Paul’s longtime sideman), bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and guitarist Frank Vignola. Guitarist Vinny Raniolo will also take part in addition to special guests. There will be instrument and voice workshops focused on jazz standards that Les Paul and his Trio performed during their popular weekly Monday evening performances in Manhattan, from 1983 until Les Paul’s passing in 2009. “It’s an honor for me to carry forward Les’s story and his music style”, said Pallo, “We’re going to teach the arrangements as the songs were interpreted by Les.”
The course of study will also include video presentations and documentaries about Les Paul, detailing his strong will and creative drive which led him to a sea of inventions that transformed the music industry; most notably sound-on-sound recording, and the solid-bodied Gibson guitar played by both rock stars and guitar lovers. The courses will culminate with a live performance with the Rockit Live Foundation’s students in combination with Les Paul’s Trio, plus special guests, at The Cutting Room in New York City on Sunday, October 21st at 1:30 p.m. Pallo will be celebrating his 84th birthday at the show. “This is a superb opportunity for our students to learn directly from and perform with world-class musicians, and for this we are grateful”, said Bruce Gallipani, Rockit’s Founder and Executive Director. Proceeds from the concert benefit the Rockit Live Foundation’s Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $25 and available online at TheCuttingRoomNYC.com or in person at the door.
The Rockit Live Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization reaching out to help develop, nurture, and inspire young musicians to reach their full artistic potential through live music education. The foundation’s defining focus is outreach, music education, and scholarships. The Rockit Live Foundation also endeavors to build character as well as talent, instilling confidence and team skills, with an emphasis on community service.
Since its inception, Rockit has worked with more than 1,700 young musicians to kick-start their careers and to assist in leading them into the most prestigious music colleges in the United States. Currently, Rockit hosts twenty percent of its student body funded through scholarships. Artist Advisory Board members include Maureen & Steven Van Zandt, Carmine Appice, Susan & Eddie Brigati, Ricky Byrd, Jacquie Lee, and Rich Russo.
For further information, please visit rockitacademy.org.
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PRESS CONTACT
For the Les Paul Foundation
Caroline Galloway
440-591-3807
caroline@m2mpr.com
PRESS CONTACT
For The Rockit! Live Foundation
Samantha Fortier
732-330-1619
sam@rockitacademy.org
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