|| Yoko Ono, Jackson Browne & the Lennon Bus at NAMM 2010 ||

One of the big highlights at this year’s annual NAMM show gathering of the musical tribes was the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus celebration. Yoko Ono chose this event to kick off a year celebrating John’s 70th birthday. Following a medley of Lennon tunes belted out by students from the Fernando Pullum Performing Arts School, Yoko took the stage with executive director Brian Rothschild and offered words of wisdom and encouragement about the importance of music education. It used to be a requirement for all students to study music and pick an instrument, thereby developing talents that would otherwise remain hidden. It’s a shame to think of all the raw talent that is undiscovered in these supposedly “modern” times.

Yoko was completely charming and clearly touched by the gathering and, dare I say it, cute in a girlish sort of way. “The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit outreach program with the mission of giving kids a chance to express themselves through music and video productions,” she said. “It has been a living legacy to John’s passion for musical expression and artistic freedom. By utilizing the on-the-road John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and its fine studio set-up, thousands of students have written, recorded and produced original songs and videos – students who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to explore these avenues of creativity. At a time with music education in the schools is facing tough funding challenges, the Bus has been a rolling testament to the enduring, positive power of music making.”

She was followed by fellow proponents of the good cause, Jackson Brown and Quincy Jones. The bus itself is a marvel of advanced audio and video recording technology, complete with the latest in remote camera control and green screen capability (using new fabrics that reflect light in a specific way that reacts with the camera sensors). Chief engineer Jeff Sobel heads up an operation that travels all over, bringing musical vision to students from all walks of life.   lennonbus.org

The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs from the international music products industry. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, visit www.nammfoundation.org. For more information on how to support music education programs in your local community, go to www.supportmusic.com.