Casio Gifts Digital Pianos to UCLA Mindful Music Program
CGP-700 Digital Pianos Will Help Program in its Mission to Highlight the Stress-Relieving Benefits of Music
DOVER, N.J., May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc., a leading electronic musical instrument provider, is dedicated to providing musicians with the technology and tools they need to foster creativity and bring communities together through the power of music. This month, Casio continued to demonstrate that commitment by working with Mindful Music at the UCLA Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior to make piano performances possible by donating digital pianos. Established in 2014, the program strives to integrate live music performances into communities to promote well-being and healing, particularly in high-stress environments.
Since then, Mindful Music has introduced the 80,000 people of UCLA's campus and health system to over 200 live performances featuring local student musicians. Through a partnership with UCLA Health and Wellness, regular monthly music performances are featured throughout Ronald Regan and Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, including the Pediatrics Unit.
Music has been associated with alleviating depression, anxiety, mood, emotional distress and even perceived pain. The benefits of music are undeniable and Mindful Music showcases the stress-relieving power of music with performances by talented student musicians from UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
"We would like to express our gratitude for Casio's incredible support of the UCLA Mindful Music program," said Dalida Arakelian, Founder and Executive Director. "The generously donated Compact Grand Pianos will be used by musicians and classically trained pianists during performances across UCLA Medical Center, hospital units and areas of the campus. There is so much talent all around us and I wanted to create a way to break the barriers between medicine and music performance. Medical facilities are high-stress zones where music performances can play a therapeutic role for patients, families and medical staff. Live music is a vehicle uplifting hearts and bringing people together into the moment. In times of high stress, suffering, and discomfort, the power of musical performance can be the uplifting relief every person is searching for. Mindful Music is the bridge for music performances to exist for people who need it most."
Ms. Arakelian, classical-trained pianist and musical artist, founded the program after practicing a grand piano hidden away in the back of the Semel Institute Auditorium, directly across the street from the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. With a B.A. in Economics and Public Health from UCLA, her interdisciplinary background and performance experience led to the research, design and implementation of Mindful Music.
For Mindful Music, Casio donated three of its CGP-700 Compact Grand Pianos. The CGP-700 is equipped with Casio's Color Touch Interface™, which features a premium icon-based 5.3" touch display with 168,960 pixels. Players can effortlessly choose tones, select rhythms, and split and layer sounds, all organized by category making it easy to create the right sound for the right occasion. Additionally, the CGP-700 incorporates a three-way sound system with 40 watts of total amplification, providing a powerful stereo experience to fully immerse the audience in the soothing sounds of the Mindful Music performers.
"It is always an honor for us at Casio to work with organizations as unique as Mindful Music," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instrument Division. "Music has healing powers and the work that Mindful Music is doing to raise awareness about its stress-reducing benefits is admirable."
To learn more about Casio's CGP-700 Compact Grand Piano and full portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com. To learn more about Mindful Music, please visit www.mindfulmusic.semel.ucla.edu/.
About Casio America, Inc.
Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com.
SOURCE Casio America, Inc.
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