Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/04/2016 -- This Saturday, 26 Chicago Public Schools teachers will gather to expand their music education background and rock out with their peers. To ensure all of their students have an opportunity to have music programs that are as diverse as they are, the educators are training on a new and innovative music program — Modern Band. The program is part of a burgeoning national movement pioneered by Little Kids Rock, a leading provider of free instruments and music instruction to U.S. public schools. Little Kids Rock currently operates in more than 1,700 schools in 127 school districts in the United States, and has served more than 500,000 students since 2002.

Last month, thousands of Modern Band students participated in the first School Year Kickoff Concert in Millennium Park with Rock Legend Jim Peterik and Former Cub Ryan Dempster. Evan Plummer. Director of Arts Education at Chicago Public Schools, spoke to the students, and encouraged them to tell their schools how much they want the Modern Band program expanded. "There's some people that think why would you learn popular music?" he said. "Did you know that once upon a time jazz music used to be on the side, marginalized, not understood, not appreciated? Now look where jazz is. It's a part of our curriculum. We want to do the same thing with rock music, pop music, and hip-hop."

This new crop of Modern Band teachers in Chicago is anticipated to receive a donation of 650 musical instruments including guitars, basses, drum sets, and keyboards, which they will use to provide music lessons to nearly 6,000 students. These teachers are the most recent group to receive professional development and resources from Little Kids Rock, joining colleagues from 123 Chicago Public Schools who have already established Modern Band curriculum in their classes and reach nearly 24,000 students annually. Students from McAuliffe Elementary School who currently participate in the program are scheduled to perform for the newly trained teachers and give them a glimpse of the success they have to look forward to.

Modern Band music programs teach the commercially contemporary musical styles of the past 60 years, from rock and reggae to Latin and R&B, among other genres, with a heavy focus on improvisation, composition, and getting kids to play on day one. Modern Band complements existing music programs such as jazz band, choral ensembles, marching band, and orchestra. At Little Kids Rock's Modern Band workshops, teachers play guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, write and perform their own songs, and learn how to teach a Modern Band music program at their schools. Funding for this donation to the Chicago Public Schools was secured by the Katherine W. Hoffman Chicago Area Advisory Board.

WHAT: Little Kids Rock will train 26 Chicago Public School teachers in its Modern Band music program and equip them with curricula, instruments, and resources to help them launch the program in their schools.

WHEN: Saturday, November 5th 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Student performance begins at 12:00 pm

WHERE: McAuliffe Elementary, 1841 N Springfield Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Media are encouraged to attend. Interview and photo opportunities are available. Please contact kat@littlekidsrock.org.

About Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock is a national nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in our schools. The organization partners with public school districts to train teachers to run its innovative Modern Band curriculum, and donates all the accompanying instruments and resources necessary to teach popular music in a way that empowers students to experience instant achievement. What began as a single after-school guitar class has since exploded into a national movement that brings free, weekly music lessons to over 250,000 public school children through the efforts of more than 1,700 teachers in 127 school districts nationwide. To date, Little Kids Rock has served more than 500,000 students.

More info at http://www.littlekidsrock.org