Grammy Music Education Coalition And John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Present 2-Day Come Together Philadelphia Visit To Local Schools

GRAMMY Music Education Coalition (GMEC) will join the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus (Lennon Bus) on Mon., Oct. 21 through Tues., Oct. 22 in Philadelphia. The Lennon Bus, the premier non-profit 501(c)(3) state-of-the-art mobile production facility, provides hands-on creative experiences to students of all ages who will receive an exclusive look at the latest in music products as well as audio, video, and broadcast technologies found on board with help from GMEC Artist Ambassadors Ivan Barias(Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown) and 2x GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Kristal "Tytewriter" Oliver (Kanye West, Enrique Iglesias). Students will learn about potential career paths first-hand from the engineers who live and work on board the multi-million dollar facility that travels year round throughout the U.S. Students at each stop will spend a full day developing an original project, creating the music, video, and images needed to take their ideas from concept to delivery.

"Some of the most meaningful work in which the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition has endeavored since inception is in the School District of Philadelphia," says GMEC Executive Director Lee Whitmore. "Today, with our Coalition affiliates, DASH and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, the Philly community sees relevant music education in action. Strawberry Mansion High School students, who benefit from relevant music and audio business curriculum and mentoring during the school day, are creating a music video on the Bus for their community and the industry to receive. This is what our Coalition is all about - all kids making music in school in a way that really means something to them."

The event marks the bus’ first visit to Philadelphia in many years and will kick off two days of songwriting and recording sessions on Mon., Oct. 21 at Strawberry Mansion High School and invite Barias and Oliver to assist students in their original music production.  

GMEC and the Lennon Bus will make a generous donation of state-of-the-art instruments and gear to Strawberry Mansion High School, a school in which GMEC has implemented its DASH (Destined To Achieve Successful Heights) program, which aims to change the way students perceive music education and the industry through songwriting classes, music production, lessons in publishing, business, and more.

“This year’s 2-day visit is a great way to jump start an annual Come Together Philadelphia residency by introducing the Lennon Bus to local professionals, educators, students, and elected officials that can help grow the program to reach even more students and schools next year," says Lennon Bus Co-Founder Brian Rothschild."Encouraging young people to embrace their creativity and imagine peace is a core value of the program and connects them to Lennon's legacy of free expression and activism."

"As a Recording Academy National Trustee, I've been involved in the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition from its inception," says Artist Ambassador Ivan Barias. "I'm so proud to be with DASH, a Coalition affiliate that I work through to mentor the School District of Philadelphia students, and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, where Strawberry Mansion High School students, create their own music and music video. I'm here to listen, support and mentor the students as they ask me, and catch our Philly students make something we all are proud to share with the city and the world."

John Lennon Educational Tour Bus schedule:

Mon., Oct. 21 | Strawberry Mansion High School

7 AM ET | Load-in

9 AM - 3 PM ET | Student Tours & Tents

Tues., Oct. 22 | Strawberry Mansion High School

7 AM ET | Load-in

9 AM - 11 AM ET | Artist Ambassadors Ivan Barias & Kristal Oliver on-site

9 AM - 6 PM ET | Student A/V Recording Session

About GRAMMY Music Education Coalition:

The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition, formed in 2017, is a non-profit dedicated to building universal music education participation in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. It is a coalition of over 40 non-profit music education organizations and philanthropies that gathers academics, philanthropists, educators, artists and parents to work together to create dynamic, diverse communities to create and sustain music education.

About the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus:

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit 501(c)(3) state-of-the-art mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. In its 22nd year, with the very newest technology and gear, the Bus continues to be dedicated to providing young people with tours of the studios, participation in free digital media production workshops, and the production of giant peace signs. Assisted by three on-board engineers, students can learn how to write, record, and produce original songs, music videos, documentaries, and live multi-camera video productions – all in one day!