Casio Keyboard Donation Enables Music Education At Westminster Avenue Elementary School

CTK-4200 Keyboards Offer Extensive Features for Teaching Children to Play the Piano

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Mar 27, 2015, 02:00 ET

DOVER, N.J., March 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc., a leading electronic musical instrument provider, is proud to support the Westminster Avenue Elementary School, located in Venice, California with the donation of 22 CTK-4200 electronic keyboards along with the corresponding ARST keyboard stands.

"Fostering a love of music among today's youth can be a key factor in helping students excel in a number of different academic areas," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instrument Division. "The new music programs at the Westminster Avenue Elementary School are an exceptional opportunity to offer full time modern music education to students and we are incredibly proud that our Casio keyboards will be included among the tools available to these budding musicians."

The Westminster Avenue Elementary School strives to develop a self-motivating community of lifelong learners and critical thinkers through a rigorous curriculum that includes technology and appreciation for the arts. With hands-on experiences and fun, challenging and exciting programs, the Westminster School community hopes to instill a strong work ethic that will enable students to meet or exceed grade level standards.

The school was recently selected for a five-year commitment by Adopt the Arts, a Los Angeles-based non-profit created by Guns N' Roses' former drummer Matt Sorum (a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee), along with activist Abby Berman. Through this program, and in partnership with the Carter Lay Charitable Fund, the Westminster Avenue Elementary School will teach students valuable lessons that go beyond traditional music education, including the power of giving back and choosing to make a difference helping others in their community.

"I am thrilled to be bringing music education back to our school in a strong way with the help of such powerful partners in the music industry," said Barry Cohen, Principal of Westminster Avenue Elementary School Principal. "Our beautiful new music room, complete with guitars, a drumset, and Casio's keyboards will be the perfect place to unearth the wonderful talents among our students."

The Casio CTK-4200 Portable Keyboard features a 61-key Piano Style Touch Response Keyboard with 600 built-in tones, 180 built-in rhythms, and Reverb plus Chorus Digital Effects. The CTK-4200 is equipped with Casio's renowned Step-up Lesson System, which allows novice users to learn the built-in songs phase by phase, at their own individual pace. The keyboard includes a five track recorder, audio inputs for an MP3 player, and USB port for MIDI. The CTK-4200 includes a power supply and can also run on batteries for added portability. The corresponding ARST keyboard stands firmly support the keyboards and easily adjust to six different heights for greater playing comfort.

The CTK-4200 keyboard (MSRP: $169.99) is currently available at select music dealers nationwide. For additional information regarding Casio's portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.casiomusicgear.com.

Founded in 2010, Adopt the Arts Foundation brings together well-known artists, public figures, and the general public to save the arts in America's public schools. Co-founders Abby Berman and Matt Sorum believe that it is morally and ethically incumbent upon the public-at-large to foster the creativity, dreams, hopes, and imaginations of our children. Adopt the Arts is dedicated to improving the academic performance of every child through access to an education rich in the arts. In 2011, Adopt the Arts chose Rosewood Avenue Elementary (West Hollywood, CA) as its pilot school, working directly with the principal and the district to ensure that the students receive exposure to all the arts disciplines, including music, dance, theater, and visual arts. Adopt the Arts pays the salary of the music teacher and has outfitted a music room with donated keyboards, guitars, and drums. In September 2012, Adopt the Arts donated 1,000 musical instruments (i.e. drum kits, keyboards, guitars, bass guitars) to LAUSD elementary schools. With the help of the arts education branch of LAUSD, Adopt the Arts is identifying the most underserved schools in the district as it prepares for its next series of adoption. Each school site is available to be "adopted" by anyone that wants to help—whether a business, a working artist, celebrity or public figure—to underscore the importance of community involvement. As of December 2014, Adopt the Arts has now adopted Westminster Elementary School in Venice, CA in a partnership with the Carter Lay Charitable Fund, and their music program began in February 2015. For more information, please visit www.adoptthearts.org.

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.