The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus (Lennon Bus), the premier, non-profit 501(c)(3) mobile Pro-Audio, Video and Broadcast studio providing hands-on experiences for students of all ages since 1998, comes to New York City for stops at public schools in each of the five boroughs culminating on Lennon’s birthday, October 9. The legendary songwriter, poet, artist and activist would have been 74.
“This project would have made John so proud. It was born from John's love and the strong wishes of kids all over the world. I am very happy!” - Yoko Ono Lennon
The Lennon Bus is made possible by the generosity and support of Yoko Ono Lennon who was present on September 15, 2014, when the mobile studio arrived at Manhattan’s PS 171 to kick off the New York City residency.
The bus’ tour of New York is presented in association with the NAMM Foundation and the Amp Up NYC initiative, which is a partnership between The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), national nonprofit Little Kids Rock and Berklee College of Music.
Students onboard the Lennon Bus will receive an exclusive look into the latest in music products, audio, video and broadcast technologies, and hear first hand from the engineers who live and work on board the multi-million dollar facility that travels 10 months a year throughout the U.S. Participants will spend a full day developing an original project, creating the music, video, and images needed to take their ideas from concept to delivery.
"Yoko and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus exemplify an extraordinary passion and devotion to providing children and young adults with opportunities to explore their creativity, musical expression and artistic freedom,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation. “We are grateful for our long standing partnership as we work to assure that every child has the chance to learn and grow and make this world a place we imagine it to be - one of peace, and full of music.”
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 17th year of touring, the Lennon Bus features the latest audio and video technology, gear and products.
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The concept began as an offshoot of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, dedicated to providing opportunities for both professional and amateur songwriters around the world. The Lennon 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. Lennon Bus Europe began providing these same opportunities to the young people of Europe when it launched in Liverpool, UK in May 2013.
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is made possible by Yoko Ono Lennon and the following sponsors and contributors: Apple, Montblanc, Sony, NAMM, Adobe, Yamaha, Neutrik, Musician’s Friend, Gibson Guitars, Epiphone, Avid, AudioTechnica, Digital Media Academy, SESAC, Genelec, SSL, NewTek, True Religion, Thomann, TodoCast by Globecomm, Vox Amps, SAE Institute, Reflecmedia, Baker & McKenzie, JamHub, Sonicbids, Litepanels, Manfrotto, Clear-Com, Anton/Bauer, AJA, DJI Innovations, Copperpeace, Aphex Systems, Applied Acoustics Systems, Mobile Roadie, McDSP, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, Noise Industries, JDI, iZotope, Mad Mimi, Ableton, Ampeg, Mackie, Apogee, Boingo, Glyph, Guitar Player, Bass Player, Electronic Musician, Keyboard Magazine, Digital Rapids, SKB, Sonnet Technologies, OWC and LiveU. For additional information about the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and to check on the tour dates and locations, visit www.lennonbus.org.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
