Little Kids Rock Hosts Concert to Support Music Education
This past November , Little Kids Rock , hosted its 10th annual benefit concert to advance its mission of transforming lives by restoring, expanding and innovating music education in schools. David Wish founded Little Kids Rock in 1996, while he was teaching in elementary school and found resources for teaching music were hard to come by. Today, the organization funds and runs one of the largest, free instrumental music programs in public schools and is also a leading provider of free instruments to schools across the country.
Honorees for the evening were Trombone Shorty, who received the Rocker of the Year Award, presented by Jon Batiste, and Brooklyn’s own Lake Street Dive, who were presented with the Innovators of the Year Award by Tamron Hall. Special guests included Bernie Williams, Grace Kelly and Will Lee. The evening was hosted by Paul Shaffer and took place at the PlayStation Theater in Manhattan’s Times Square. Honorees and guests for the annual benefit through the years have included Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Smokey Robinson, Steve Miller, Steven Van Zandt, Graham Nash, Joan Jett, Mike Myers and David Letterman, as well as Shaffer himself.
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- Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste and Grace Kelly / photo by Mike Coppola/ courtesy of Getty Images/ BWR Public Relations
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- Rachael Price and Bridget Kearney of Lake Street Dive / Photo by Mike Coppola/courtesy of Getty Images / BWR Public Relations
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- David Wish, Christine Ohlman, Paul Shaffer, Will Lee/ photo by Mike Coppola / courtesy of Getty Images/ BWR Public Relations
The show began with a student medley in tribute to Aretha Franklin. Later, students led the crowd in a rendition of “My Shot” from Hamilton, followed by inspired performances by aforementioned honorees Lake Street Dive and Trombone Shorty. Batiste, Williams and Kelly also came on-stage for special performances. The show closed to a standing ovation with a group performance of “Iko Iko” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Overall, the event raised more than $1 million in support of Little Kids Rock.
“Watching great artists like Trombone Shorty, Lake Street Dive, Jon Batiste, Paul Shaffer and others giving so freely to support our students reminds us all of how much good there is in the world,” says Little Kids Rock’s David Wish. “Their example is so valuable to all of us.”