The John Lennon Education Tour Bus

Next Destination: Warped Tour 2010

Detroit, MI

 

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Press Releases

Gibson Guitar and Epiphone Come Together with Non-Profit John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

February 16, 2010- New York, NY  – Brian Rothschild, Executive Director of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, is pleased to announce the addition of Gibson and Epiphone Guitars to its prestigious list of sponsors. The announcement underscores the company’s support for the valuable mission of the Bus to bring access to songwriting, music making and the digital arts to students across the country.
“We are very happy to be working with Gibson and Epiphone and are proud to have their legendary and innovative instruments available for the students who record on the Bus at our stops at schools, concert tours and organizations across the country. Because of Gibson’s involvement, young people will be further inspired to play music and write songs using these finely crafted guitars,” said Rothschild.

The guitars that will be featured on the Bus include select Gibson and Epiphone electric and acoustic models, such as Gibson USA’s new Dusk Tiger, Gibson Acoustic’s John Lennon J-160E Peace model, and Epiphone’s John Lennon “Revolution” Casino. “To be onboard as the exclusive guitar sponsor of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and to be working with such a fantastic organization who shares the same ideals and philosophies as we do, means a great deal to us,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. “Our long withstanding friendship with Yoko Ono and continued commitment to preserving John’s legacy is an important factor in our continued support of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.”

Gibson Guitar and Epiphone will also provide prizes for radio and internet promotions in conjunction with the Bus’ upcoming tours, including The Black Eyed Peas, Tribeca Film Festival and at various Gibson Showrooms across the U.S. As the official guitar sponsor of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Gibson and Epiphone will provide Grand Prize winners with their very own Gibson or Epiphone guitar. The Lennon Contest is open to amateurs and professionals who submit their original songs in any of the Contest’s 12 categories. Gibson and Epiphone will also support other initiatives throughout the year including press conferences at several of their U.S. based entertainment relations showrooms, content for websites and overall social media promotional programs.  The company also expects to join forces with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus to celebrate what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday this October. For more information on Gibson Guitar go to http://www.gibson.com and for more information on Epiphone go to http://www.epiphone.com.

About the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus (http://www.lennonbus.org)
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit state-of-the-art mobile Pro Audio and HD video recording facility that provides hands-on experiences for students of all ages. In its 12th year of touring, the venture is proud of its brand new bus and its studios, which boast the latest audio and video technology, gear and products. The concept began as an offshoot of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which is dedicated to providing opportunities for both professional and amateur songwriters around the world. The Bus travels across the U.S. and Canada year-round, providing free tours and workshops at schools, retailers, festivals, on tours with headlining artists, and at major industry conferences. The Bus, a 501(c)(3) venture, is made possible through the generosity of sponsors including Apple, Maxell Corporation, NAMM, The Beatles: Rock Band, Gibson, Epiphone, Sony, Avid, Roland, Mackie, GHS Strings, Sonicbids, Disc Makers, Edirol by Roland, Blackheart Amps, Ampeg, Boss, Digital Media Academy, Aphex Systems, Audio-Technica, Glyph Technologies, Neutrik, Music Player Network, Propellerhead, Musician’s Friend, Harris Corporation, Ableton, Apogee, Litepanels, Applied Acoustics Systems, Antares, McDSP, IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, Slingerland Drums, Bogen Imaging, and Noise Industries. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is made possible by an agreement with Yoko Ono Lennon.

About the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (http://www.jlsc.com):
Celebrating its thirteenth year, The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is dedicated to providing opportunities to both professional and amateur songwriters. Winners in 12 categories receive awards and prizes totaling over $275,000. The JLSC features two Sessions—with 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, 12 Lennon Award Winners and 1 Maxell Song of the Year. The $20,000 Maxell Song of the Year is selected by a stellar Executive Committee; members include Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Bob Weir, The Bacon Brothers, the Veronicas and many more. Sponsors of the Contest include Maxell, Apple Inc., Roland, Gibson and Epiphone Guitars, GHS Strings, Sibelius, Edirol by Roland, Mackie, Ampeg, Musician’s Friend, Sonicbids, Ableton, Boss, Audio-Technica, Propellerhead, Digital Media Academy, Blackheart and Disc Makers. The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is made possible by an agreement with Yoko Ono Lennon who said, “I hope this Contest will encourage, inspire and help the songwriters of the world to share their dreams with us.”


About Gibson Guitar:
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is the best selling guitar of all time and bears the name of the late, great Les Paul. Gibson’s HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar, the Gibson Robot Guitar, Gibson’s Dark Fire and the new Gibson Dusk Tiger represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. The Gibson Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Gibson Guitar Corp., and dedicates its time and services to making the place a better world for children through its support of music, education, health and human services. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo , Michigan , and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson’s website at http://www.gibson.com

For More Information:

Caroline Galloway                                  Laura Johnson
Gibson Guitar Corp.                              The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)          (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
(615) 423-4904                                      (760) 450-7749

Something like this should be parked outside of every school in America.

- Vernon Reid, Living Colour

The Headlines

  • Warped Tour

    The Bus is on the Vans Warped Tour this summer! We're producing new songs and videos with the awesome bands on the tour and working with non-profits like Feed Our Children Now. Each morning before the gates open we pick one group of lucky attendees to jump the line and get personally escorted into the show so get there early and look for us! Subscribe to our Youtube channel to catch the latest videos and our Facebook page for a peek backstage with your favorite bands.

  • Gibson Foundation’s “Night Out for Nashville”

    The Bus visited the Hard Rock Café in Nashville for public tours and silent auction of an Epiphone guitar signed by the Black Eyed Peas to raise money for flood victims in the Nashville area. Donation boxes made from Gibson guitar cases were placed at Nashville businesses and venues. To find out how you can help, visit www.gibsonfoundation.org

  • The 70th Celebration

    This year will be John's 70th birthday. The celebration will be a worldwide event. Very soon we will announce how you can be a part of it. Keep checking back here for info. Imagine Peace!

Video aboard the Bus

The increasing accessibility of digital technology has led to an amazing expansion of opportunity in the art of digital storytelling. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus has been at the forefront of this new media explosion, having produced daily video projects with students since January of 2001. The Lennon Bus puts state-of-the-art digital video equipment into the hands of workshop participants and teaches the entire digital workflow from story-boarding to DVD burning. Students leave the experience having shot, chopped, scored, and (most importantly) finished an entire digital video production. Using the latest cameras and professional hardware/software solutions including Apple's Final Cut Studio and Bogen Imaging's complete line of grip equipment, tripods, filters, and accessories, participants are exposed to the exciting world of digital videography and learn hot techniques of the trade. The accessibility of professional-quality technology is making it possible for millions of new voices to be heard and the John Lennon Bus is putting these tools into the hands of tomorrow's great digital producers.