January 08, 2008
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yoko Ono was joined by The Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, Natasha Bedingfield and Pat Monahan of Train for the official unveiling of the new non-profit state-of-the-art John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. The launch took place at the Consumer Electronics Show today. The mission of the venture is to provide students with free hands-on opportunities to make music, produce video projects, and shoot digital photos in the mobile recording studios. The Lennon Bus also has an illustrious history as a hit maker, with chart topping singles from The Black Eyed Peas and Fergie recorded on board.
The Lennon Bus program will continue the tradition of providing free tours and workshops in which young people create an original composition, record their song and produce a broadcast quality music video --- all in one day!
The new facility boasts two studio environments which are each powered by a high-end Apple Mac Pro loaded with Ableton Live, Logic Studio, Final Cut Studio and Sibelius music notation software, supplemented by an Apple XServe and XRAID system which facilitates high-bandwidth HD multimedia production and storage.
Plans for the second mobile recording and multimedia studio have been germinating since the first Lennon Bus hit the road a decade ago. Executive Director Brian Rothschild and music manager David Sonenberg created the outreach project with the focus originally on providing programs in songwriting and audio production. The program has expanded to include video production, and the new Bus goes even further with the addition of Sony HD video solutions, Mackie 5.1 surround sound monitor systems and Apogee's high-definition digital audio converters. Also new for '08 is an on-board Chromatte booth from Reflecmedia, as well as Bogen Imaging's full line of grip equipment, tripods, filters, and accessories.
The 2008 tour will include stops at high schools, colleges and university campuses, retailers, and with headlining artists around the U.S. and Canada. The tour schedule and interactive map can be found at www.lennonbus.org, where visitors can also see all of the music, video and photography projects created on board.
Plans are underway to expand the project worldwide beginning in Western Europe and then Japan.
About the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus (www.lennonbus.org)
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit state-of-the-art mobile Pro Audio and HD video recording facility that provides hands-on experiences for students of all ages. In its 11th year of touring, the venture is proud of its brand new bus and its studios, which boast the latest audio and video technology, gear and products. The concept began as an offshoot of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which is dedicated to providing opportunities for both professional and amateur songwriters around the world. The Bus travels across the U.S. and Canada year-round, providing free tours and workshops at schools, retailers, festivals, on tours with headlining artists, and at major industry conferences. The Bus, a 501(c)(3) venture, is made possible through the generosity of sponsors including Maxell Corporation, Apple, NAMM, Roland, Godin Guitars, Edirol by Roland, Sibelius, Audio-Technica, Sonicbids, Digidesign, Aphex Systems, Sony, Musician's Friend, Neutrik, Glyph Technologies, Ampeg, Ableton, Mackie, Crate, Apogee, Disc Makers, Smart Technologies, Antares, Bogen Imaging, IK Multimedia, McDSP, SKB, Ultimate Support, PureVolume.com, Planet Waves, Spectrasonics, Music Player Network, Native Instruments, and Boss. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is made possible by an agreement with Yoko Ono Lennon.
Contacts
JAG Entertainment
Jo-Ann Geffen, 818-905-5511
jgeffen@jagpr.com
