Yamaha Joins Forces with The Today Show to 'Lend a Hand' to Worthy Arts School

Yamaha Corporation of America (http://www.yamaha.com) and Yamaha Cares recently donated musical instruments valued at nearly $21,000 as part of Al Roker's annual Lend a Hand road trip on NBC's The Today Show (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/). The company donated eight YPG635 digital pianos with benches, an assortment of violas and violins and two POCKETRAK portable digital recorders to the Community School of the Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Yamaha Keyboard Division District Manager Chris Gilbert and Band & Orchestral Division District Manager Travis Goodwin joined Al Roker in an exciting segment where the school was surprised by a Penske truck full of donated products from Yamaha and other donors. Gilbert and Goodwin joined other volunteers in distributing musical instruments and other goods to thrilled faculty and students.

Given the state of the economy, many Americans are in need of a little help this year. That's why Today's Al Roker once again packed up the Penske truck to hit the road for the annual Lend a Hand trip. In its eighth consecutive year, Lend a Hand continues its mission of helping small charities across the country that work toward improving conditions in their communities. Roker's 2009 goodwill road trip also included stops in Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR, Galveston, TX and Little Rock, AR.

"With so many communities in need of arts education support and funding, Yamaha was thrilled to take part in this wonderful project," said Carol Baker, Vice President of Human Resources, Yamaha Corporation of America. "Yamaha has a rich heritage of community outreach and this project underscores our commitment to supporting music education at all levels."

Baker also oversees Yamaha Cares, an employee-based initiative dedicated to charitable works to promote education, arts, health and human services and community development in the areas where its employees live and work, as well as to spread the gift of music to people throughout the U.S.

The Community School of the Arts' (CSA) mission is to provide artistic experiences that enrich lives, cultivate imagination and foster the development of healthy communities. They offer private instruction in 20 different instruments, band, orchestra, visual arts (including pottery), ArtsReach (community outreach program), Early Arts (Pre-School Art Lab, Music Together and Music Around), Music Therapy, family workshops and summer camps. Henry Bridges founded CSA in 1969 with 20 students. Bridges' vision was to provide music instruction to students who couldn't afford lessons. Today, CSA serves over 1700 students, in over 30 locations with a diverse faculty of 35 who provide the highest quality instruction. The Community School of the Arts' outreach programs are taught free of charge to 600 monthly students and their families.

The Today Show is the top-rated morning show, averaging 5,419,000 daily viewers.

For more information about Yamaha products, write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; call (714) 522-9011; email infostation (at) yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com.

About Yamaha Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of musical instruments and sound reinforcement products to the U.S. market. Products include: acoustic and digital pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio products, and innovative technology products targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, and installation markets.

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