For Immediate Release:
January 30, 2003

Contact:
Debra DiMaio (dkoke@giles.com)
Giles Communications
(914) 798-7134

Star-Studded Tribute to Elton John Raises $330,000 for Music Education

–Piano Used in Concert and Signed by Stars Brings Additional $25K in Internet Auction–

CARLSBAD, CA—Great music and great music education were the twin focal points of a spectacular concert held at Winter NAMM 2003 in Anaheim, CA January 17.

“The 2003 NAMM Concert Honoring Sir Elton John: A Benefit For Music Education,” presented by Yamaha, tore the lid off the trade show with more than three hours of music at the Arrowhead Pond arena. The event raised more than $330,000 to benefit The American Music Conference, The Museum of Making Music and the International Foundation for Music Research, and all ticket purchasers automatically became members of AMC.

After the show, the artists autographed the Yamaha C3 grand piano Sir Elton had played onstage, and the instrument fetched $25,000 in an auction on www.eBay.com to benefit AMC.

“This benefit concert embodied NAMM’s mission to unify the industry and create more active music makers,” said NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “Supporting music education and research is essential to our industry’s growth. We’re very grateful to NAMM members, Yamaha, Elton John, the artists and the countless people behind the scenes who made this memorable evening possible.”

Before Sir Elton was presented with the 2003 Lifetime Achievement in Musical Excellence Award from Yamaha, the arena rocked with tribute performances of his classic songs by Vanessa Carlton (“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”), Ray Charles (“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”), Nikka Costa (“Levon”), Bruce Hornsby (“Burn Down The Mission”), Jewel (“Your Song”), Norah Jones (“Tiny Dancer”), Diana Krall (“Border Song”), John Mayer (a duet with Sir Elton on “Sacrifice”), Michael McDonald (“Take Me To the Pilot”), Brian McKnight (“Rocket Man”), Randy Newman (“Benny And The Jets”), Take 6 (“Philadelphia Freedom”), Rufus Wainwright (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”) and Brian Wilson (“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”), and even emcee Eric McCormack of NBC’s Will & Grace got into the musical act with “Captain Fantastic.” In a surprise performance, vocalist Carmen Twillie recreated her original rendition of the award-winning theme from The Lion King. Sir Elton himself performed ten classic numbers before the night was over.

The success of the event built upon an earlier collaboration between NAMM and Yamaha—a tribute concert to Michael McDonald at Winter NAMM 2000, whose proceeds also benefited music education and research. The Elton John tribute was produced by Yamaha’s Chris Gero, and the legendary Phil Ramone served as Musical Producer/Director.

“The concert exceeded our expectations both as a benefit for our cause and as an evening of entertainment,” Lamond said. “No one who was there will ever forget it, and people across America who weren’t there will feel its benefits for years to come.”

More than a dozen stars from the January 17 benefit concert autographed the Yamaha piano Sir Elton played on stage, and its auction on eBay raised even more money for music education.

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America manufactures a complete line of musical instruments, professional audio products, customer-driven support products and computer-based products targeted to both the amateur and professional markets.

About NAMM
The International Music Products Association, 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 $16 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 8,000 member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit www.namm.com or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

About AMC
The American Music Conference is dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music making, and music education to the general public. For more information about AMC and this new partnership, visit www.amc-music.org.

About The Museum of Making Music
The mission of the Museum of Making Music is to celebrate the rich history and encourage the future of music making. The one-of-a-kind museum invites all NAMM members to tour the Museum FREE of charge. Located in the NAMM Industry Headquarters in beautiful Carlsbad, Calif., the museum is a great way to experience first-hand the impact of the music products industry over the last 100 years. For more information about the museum or its activities, interested parties should call 877-551-9976 or visit www.museumofmakingmusic.org.

About IFMR
The International Foundation for Music Research (IFMR) was founded in 1997 to support scientific research to explore the relationship between music and physical and emotional wellness, with particular attention to the elderly population, the impact of music making on at-risk youth, and music education and the effect of music and music making. IFMR also convenes scientists, educators and others around critical issues in music research and disseminates research through its publication, IFMR News, and various on-line research referral services and archives. For more information about IFMR, interested parties should visit www.music-research.org.