Yamaha Rallies Music Makers to ‘Share the Gift'; Donates Keyboards to Help Underfunded Music Programs Across the U.S.

Yamaha Rallies Music Makers to ‘Share the Gift'; Donates Keyboards to Help Underfunded Music Programs Across the U.S.

BUENA PARK, Calif. (November 1, 2016) – Yamaha is putting out a rallying call to music makers everywhere, asking them to join its "Share the Gift" campaign to support music education in schools throughout the U.S. this holiday season.

From November 1 through December 31, 2016, Yamaha is encouraging musicians of all levels to create a short video of themselves playing one of 15 classic holiday songs on either a Yamaha piano or keyboard from their home or at a participating dealer, and then posting it to Twitter or Instagram. For every video that is posted with the hashtag #YamahaShareTheGift, Yamaha will donate a keyboard (up to 300 total) to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which will provide the musical instruments to underfunded music programs nationwide, giving economically disadvantaged youth access to the many benefits of music education.

"We are encouraging music makers everywhere to join Yamaha in keeping music education alive in our schools across the nation, and around the world," said Mark Anderson of Yamaha. "We are very fortunate to be working in partnership with such a committed organization as the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which will ensure that our donation of keyboards gets in the hands of those students who need them the most."

Since its founding in 1887, Yamaha — the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments — has maintained a devotion to inspiring creativity through the power of music, and has remained deeply dedicated to charitable works to promote education, arts, health and human services, and community development. The centerpiece of the company's mission is the preservation and excellence of musical tradition, while creating innovative new products, technologies and education programs.

To find the complete rules for the "Share the Gift" campaign, as well as a list of qualifying classic holiday songs, please visit 4wrd.it/ShareTheGift Participants are urged to follow @YamahaMusicUSA on Instagram or Twitter for the latest updates.