MUSIC RETAIL LEADER GUITAR CENTER FUNDS FREE LOCAL MUSIC TRAINING
PROGRAMS WITH GUITARS IN THE CLASSROOM FOR L.A. AREA TEACHERS

LOS ANGELES, CA, NOVEMBER 20, 2008: Classroom teachers with little or no musical training
or experience will soon have the chance to learn to play guitar and make music in their
classrooms thanks to GUITAR CENTER.

This month, GUITAR CENTER generously awarded GUITARS IN THE CLASSROOM, an innovative
California non-profit organization known as GITC (pronounced “git-see”), $5,000 toward
funding 3 new regional teacher training programs in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in 2009.
The programs will offer instruction to 120 educators, and will bring music integration into
classrooms and learning environments for approximately 8,000 students this year. There is
currently a GITC program running in downtown Los Angeles training teachers at the Downtown
Value School and Norwood Elementary. This program is funded by Arts Block grant funding (ID
953) and the NAMM Foundation.

GITC inspires, trains and equips teachers to integrate music-making by facilitating "song-based
learning" with guitars in Pre K-8 academic and special ed classrooms so all students engage
more actively in learning across the core curriculum. Educators working with children between
the ages of 3 and 18 are invited to join this exciting grassroots musical movement by teaching
them to lead their students in song while helping to restore music to its rightful place in
education. Group lessons includes “easy” acoustic guitar, ear training, singing, song-leading,
and songwriting instruction that prepare teachers to enrich academic instruction through songbased
learning. Loaner guitars for teachers are available upon request!

Other local sponsors include Ibanez Guitars (Hoshino U.S.A.), D’Addario Strings, Dunlop capos,
Levy’s Leathers straps, Peak music stands, and the Guitar Center Music Foundation, helping
GITC programs grow since 2005.

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Teachers and schools interested in learning more about GITC are encouraged visit GITC’s website at
www.guitarsintheclassroom.org. Please watch our PowerPoints, and don’t hesitate to get in touch
with the Los Angeles program coordinator, Mr. Gary Saunders at garysaunders2005@msn.com or
GITC’s executive director, Jessica Baron at jess.gitc@sbcglobal.net.