Casio Supports Grammy Foundation®'s Grammy® Career Day Program With Musical Instrument Donation

Casio Donates CGP-700 Digital Piano and XW-P1 Synthesizer to Senior Students as Part of Career Day Program

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Mar 31, 2016, 09:00 ET

DOVER, N.J., March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc., a leading electronic musical instrument provider, is excited to announce that it has partnered with the GRAMMY Foundation^® and its GRAMMY^® Career Day program to provide a deserving 2016 high school senior with a Casio CGP-700 digital piano and XW-P1 synthesizer. Casio has been a generous supporter of the GRAMMY Career Day program for several years through its donations to students without access to electronic musical instruments after graduation. In order for a student to receive the free musical instrument, a teacher must submit information on the talented and qualified high school senior who desires to pursue a career in music if provided the tools to do so. All potential candidate submissions will be reviewed by an appointed committee of music industry professionals.

"We are excited to partner with the GRAMMY Foundation as we feel our music education principles are very much in tune. At Casio, we take pride in our commitment to providing the next generation of artists with high-quality electronic musical instruments in hopes that we can help advance their musical careers," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instrument Division. "With the CGP-700 and XW-P1 donation, students that are aspiring professional musicians and DJs alike will have the chance to continue their music education once they graduate."

The GRAMMY Foundation has founded the GRAMMY Career Day program in order to provide students with the fundamentals of what it takes to have a career in music. It is a one-day event that brings together top music industry professionals and high school students for an insider's perspective of working in the music and recording industries and highlights the tools needed to succeed.

"The GRAMMY Foundation works to influence the lives of young people by opening the windows of opportunity that music can provide for their futures," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy^® and the GRAMMY Foundation. "As one of our longstanding GRAMMY in the Schools^® programs, we are proud of the impact GRAMMY Career Day has in introducing high school students to the range of careers available in the music industry, and partners like Casio only enrich the initiative for all."

The CGP-700 is equipped with Casio's latest technological achievement, the Color Touch Interface^™, which features a premium icon-based 5.3" touch display with 168,960 pixels. This bright, clear and easy-to-use interface allows musicians to choose tones, select rhythms, split and layer sounds, and more. The CGP-700 also features Casio's superior engineering and world-class Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard with simulated ebony and ivory keys, which have resulted in the authentic piano feel that musicians expect in a grand piano. In addition, the CGP-700 incorporates a new, unique 3-way sound system with 40 watts of total amplification. Four speakers are located in the top of the CGP-700 providing a rich stereo experience, and two additional speakers are located in the included stand to provide the low frequencies to handle instruments like bass and drums with ease.

Casio's XW-P1 is a 61-key performance synthesizer equipped with the company's exclusive Hybrid Processing Sound Source. Providing screaming virtual analog monophonic leads and basses, drawbar organs, complex layers, stereo pianos, drums and more, the XW-P1 has the sounds and real-time control performing musicians need. The product features HexLayer tones and the sliders can be used to mix sounds on the fly to create evolving pads and rich synth textures. The XW-P1 has four real-time controller knobs, pitch bend and modulation wheels, along with nine sliders to provide control over internal sounds and external devices. Through standard MIDI ports and with a class-compliant USB port the keyboard can be used as a controller for other instruments, including computer software and iPad^® based software applications. It also includes an audio input allowing consumers to monitor an MP3 player, computer or other device without the need for a mixer.

The CGP-700 (MSRP: $1,099.99) and XW-P1 synthesizer (MSRP: $699.99) are both available at select music dealers nationwide. To learn more about Casio's music education initiatives and full portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com.

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.

THE GRAMMY Foundation
The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1988 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation partnered to present their first Music Educator Award™ in 2014. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the fourth annual Music Educator Award will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2017. For more information about the Music Educator Award, please visit GRAMMYMusicTeacher.com. For more information about the Foundation, please visit Grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please "like" GRAMMY in the Schools® on Facebook, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter and join us on Instagram.

SOURCE Casio America, Inc.