Give the Gift of Music Education on eBay

Give the Gift of Music Education on eBay National Association for Music Education (MENC) Joins Forces with eBay to Support The National Anthem Project: The Campaign to Restore America's Voice RESTON, Va., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Music Education (MENC) today announced a new eBay store dedicated to supporting the National Anthem Project: Restoring America's Voice. With every purchase made at the MENC / eBay store, proceeds will be donated to this national education campaign dedicated to re-teaching Americans "The Star-Spangled Banner," renewing national awareness of American traditions, and promoting the important role of school music education in passing American heritage from one generation to the next A recent Harris Poll shows that two out of three Americans don't know the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner," and many aren't clear on which patriotic song is the official national anthem. Since school music programs are where most Americans learn the anthem as well as other patriotic songs, MENC is spearheading the campaign that will include education outreach in schools, at professional sporting events, and local venues throughout the country over the next several years. "With the recent budget cuts to school music programs, America's knowledge of our country's heritage is eroding. MENC and eBay have joined together to ensure that the historical legacies typically taught in school music class are not lost for future generations," said Dr. John Mahlmann, Executive Director of MENC. "By supporting school music education, eBay shoppers are contributing to the renewed place of our national anthem and patriotic music in the hearts and minds of Americans." Items including National Anthem Project t-shirts, bumper magnets and coffee mugs are available for purchase by searching for "National Anthem Project" within eBay stores at http://www.ebay.com/ . In addition to the items currently for sale, a variety of celebrity memorabilia will be available early 2005. The National Anthem Project officially launches in March 2005 and aims to reach millions of Americans across the country throughout the multi-year effort, culminating in 2007. For more information about the National Anthem Project please visit http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/ . For more information about MENC, call 1-800-336-3768, or visit http://www.menc.org/ . MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 100,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. Contact: Lindsey Schaefer 415.369.8114 Source: National Association for Music Education CONTACT: Lindsey Schaefer for MENC, +1-415-369-8114 Web site: http://www.ebay.com/ http://www.menc.org/ http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment