Many thanks to Ryan Mastro and SO PA Productions.

NEWPORT, RI, March 22 – In keeping with its mission to present programs to educate young people about folk music, George Wein and the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. today announced its first youth education initiative, which will support the expansion of the music program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.

The funding, primarily raised through the Backyard Barbecue at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival®, will enable the Boys & Girls Clubs to purchase new musical instruments and music recording tools/software; hire a professional music teacher to lead programs during its school-year afterschool programs; and introduce a new music program at its summer day camp, Camp Grosvenor. This collaboration will provide the Club the opportunity to continue its educational program with the Common Fence Music Production group, including offering a six-week African Drumming Workshop led by musician/percussionist LeRoy White. Additionally, the Club can offer new music programs for its Tot-Spot toddler/preschoolers, as well as expand its Digital Beats program for its Teen Center participants as a result of this support.

“The Newport Festivals Foundation was created to continue the legacies of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, and what better way to do that than to support programs that will encourage the next generation of music fans,” said George Wein, Chairman of the Foundation and Founder/Producer of the two festivals. “When Producer Jay Sweet presented the idea for the Folk Festival to support this wonderful music program, it was a unanimous decision to move forward.”

Jay Sweet added, “To build upon the programs that help kids throughout the Newport area gain a better understanding and knowledge of music while also bringing joy to their lives is a fantastic and humbling feeling. We’re excited to begin our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, and we look forward to not only watching the kids grow, develop and share their experiences, but also being available to help in any way.”

“We are thrilled that the Newport Festivals Foundation has decided to support the music program at the Boys & Girls Clubs. We know that music education can help provide the tools that children need to build a successful life – patience, concentration, coordination, relaxation – are just some of the benefits derived from music,” stated Joanne Hoops, Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County. “Studies have shown that music education can help build intellectual and emotional skills that facilitate learning and strengthen academics. Music provides all of us an outlet to express feelings and relieve tension. Support from the Festivals Foundation will enable the Boys & Girls Club to expand its music programming, and offer opportunities in this area to children who might not have them. The Newport Folk Festival has such an esteemed history of bringing musicians of worldwide acclaim to Newport, and we are very proud to partner with them.”

Fore more that 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County has provided quality, well-rounded programming to youth ages 5-18. Children and teens are engaged in a variety of age- appropriate activities that strengthen self-esteem, social skills, health, and community involvement. The club strives to incorporate learning into everything that they do. Their mission is for all young people – especially those that need them most – to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

The Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build up and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Folk Festival presents performers who respect and honor folk music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. Through the establishment of partnerships with local schools and colleges/universities, the Foundation will present programs to educate young people about folk music as presented at the annual festivals. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

This year’s Newport Folk Festival, set for July 28-29, features My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City and Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles and many others. For the complete line-up, log on to www.newportfolkfest.net.

Tickets for the Newport Folk Festival are on sale now at a href=”http://www.newportfolkfest.net” target=”_blank”>www.newportfolkfest.net and www.ticketmaster.com. For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055.

On the eve of our 2012 line-up announcement, we are proud to introduce a new film/music series we are calling: BEHIND THE WALLS: Backstage Recordings from Newport Folk. We teamed up with our friends from Ryan Mastro Photography and Sopa Productions to chronicle the sights and sounds that make our time at Fort Adams so memorable. The first one features our pals from The Devil Makes Three. Let us know what you think. It made us crave for summer, hopefully it does the same for you.

“The Newport Folk Festival’s Board of Advisors is comprised of very special performers and we’re pleased that they have agreed to join us as we return to our roots as a non-profit organization,” said George Wein, Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation and festival co-founder along with Pete Seeger. “Each of these musicians personifies and enhances the spirit of the Newport Folk Festival, which honors past, present, and future icons of the ever-changing folk scene.”

The five founding members have all previously appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, and, in a further testament to their importance to the advisory board and in true Folk Family fashion, each has a special connection that has bonded them to Newport.

“To attend the Newport Folk Festival is to be part of the unbroken chain of American music that connects Mother Maybelle Carter and Mississippi John Hurt, to Bob Dylan and Bill Monroe, and Emmylou Harris and Mavis Staples,” said Gillian Welch. “The scene is vibrant and diverse, the faces of folk change; and yet for 52 years, the Newport Folk Festival has succeeded in keeping us connected to our own living tradition.”

Jim James added, “Every time I find myself within her loving arms, ye old festival de Newport Folk sweeps me off to a special land of music and reverie where all things are possible,” “Way back when, right now, and way off into the future her power is a mirror: all-encompassing and real, reflecting back to us a vividly truthful vision of our times. I am honored and humbled to be in her presence and at her service.”

The Newport Folk Festival has seen many performers break into the musical and cultural consciousness of the world following an appearance at one of the Festival’s 51 previous installments. In exchange for the opportunity to play this mainstay of the music world, experienced and emerging artists often make some concessions to perform at Newport, and the Festival has always shown its gratitude by offering its performers a bit of magic that no other venue or festival can match, delivering credentials with historical significance and real value.

“The importance and influence of the Newport Folk Festival is undeniable,” says Colin Meloy. “I’m proud to be involved with the Festival because I feel like it can have real and lasting relevance to a new generation of musicians.”

To further cultivate the mission of the Newport Folk Festival, the Board of Advisors will not only interact with other artists in the music world, but will also serve as “talent scouts” and will be a collective sounding board for festival producers and organizers as future Newport Folk Festival lineups take shape in the years to come.

“Returning to our non-profit status, it’s imperative that we have artists who can help us shape the future of this Festival. The connection the Festival has with its artists and the music world is a characteristic that has enabled us to be successful and unique while presenting unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime, impromptu performances. Thanks to the support of these five advisors, we will remain relevant for another 50 years and beyond,”said Jay Sweet, Folk Festival talent programmer and producer.

The Newport Festivals Foundation continues to build on the festival’s historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music’s most venerable names. The 2011 Festival featured:The Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch, Amos Lee, Earl Scruggs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, Wanda Jackson, Mavis Staples, Tegan & Sara, The Felice Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Justin Townes Earle, Delta Spirit, Middle Brother, The Wailin’ Jennys, Freelance Whales, The Secret Sisters, Trampled by Turtles, The Civil Wars, The Head & The Heart, Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, The Cave Singers, What Cheer? Brigade, Mountain Man, David Wax Museum, Devil Makes Three, Song Circle with Dar Williams Ellis Paul John Gorka & Liz Queler, Typhoon, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, The Seeger Clogging All-Stars, BrownBird, River City Extension and PS22 Chorus.

For more information, visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

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*The Newport Folk Festival® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

Media Contact:
Carolyn McClair / (917) 686-0854 / Info@CarolynMcClairPR.com

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