Initiatives of Active Music Making

"Initiative für elektronische Tasteninstrumente" is a registered association (e. V.) and as such aims at changing the perception of the broad public for electronic keyboard instruments and giving people a closer understanding of the passion for making music with these instruments.
Especially children and youngsters shall systematically be motivated to go in for these instruments actively. They shall become aware of the vast potential for emotional and creative expression the electronic keyboard instruments provide. Doing so, "IFET" also joins in a social challenge, offering children and youngsters an alternative for their recreational activities as well as their self-development. An initial step on this score is the "Kids2Keys" action - a fresh, innovative and, above all, a high-level music contest for electronic keyboard instruments for children and youngsters up to 21 years of age.

For more information please see: www.kids2keys.de

"Music Your Life" got started in 2007, and now this nationwide poster action goes to the second round as of October 31, 2008.

"Music Your Life! adverts to the prime importance of active music making and shall above all incite youngsters to play an instrument. This campaign is initiated by the Society of Music Merchants (SOMM e.V.), the organization of the industry for musical instruments and related equipment in Germany.

Our group of companies supports also this second round of the action to a considerable extent.

For more information please see: Music Your Life

Since 1996 the ErnieBall / MusicMan "Battle of the Bands" is more and more successful every year as a talent contest in the USA. In 2006 the successful "Battle of the Bands" expanded its boundaries and opened the doors world-wide for newcomer bands without record deals. Together with the rock star Energy Drink and the Taste of Chaos tour in 2007, the Battle of the Bands for the first time takes place on an international level, the bands with the most plays receive prizes from the music industry and one of the bands selected by the jury receives the chance for a gig on the occasion of the Taste of Chaos Tour performing in 30 cities in 12 countries, with six gigs in Germany and one in Austria.

For more information please see: http://www.battleofthebands.com

A world-wide, professionally organized talent contest offering newcomer bands interesting chances for gigs in competition with each other.

In 2005, alone in Germany, 220 concerts with 125,000 visitors offered the approximately 800 participating bands real musical perspectives for the future..

For more information please see: http://www.emergenza.de

"Let's make Music e. V." is an initiative handling with the promotion of active music making. It was founded in 1996 on the initiative of the VVMD e. V. association (Verband der Vertriebe von Musikinstrumenten und Musikelektronik in Deutschland), and since October 2003 it is an independent association financially supported and ideally borne by currently 24 companies of the music industry.
"Let's make Music" is involved with vocational training for teachers, development of tuition concepts and materials as well as networking, financing and sponsoring of initiatives relative to musical education and model projects concerning policies of education - especially relative to making music in the classroom.

For more information please see: http://www.letsmakemusic.de

An educational, independently self-supporting concept designed for music classes with band instruments in public regular schools in Germany.

This is a further initiative of the Lets make Music e. V.

.

For more information please see: http://www.1stclassrock.de

In only two years' time the W:O:A Metal Battle has developed to the biggest German talent contest for metal bands of any color. However, this is not enough. The international orientation gets obviously more biased. Not only after the terrific success of Lordi at the Eurovision Song Contest it is obvious that the metal community knows no borders. Beside France, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Brazil & Belgium the Metal Battle 2007 will additionally take place in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro.

For more information please see: http://www.metal-battle.com

Oper in die Schule! - opera goes to school! - is a project for school children. They approach the opera phenomenon fearlessly, because the opera comes where the children are.

Oper in die Schule! is under the artistic direction of Mr. William Cochran. He has chosen the task of presenting high-quality music theatre to the schoolchildren on site at their school.

The project, supported by the Hessian Ministery of Culture and the Frankfurt Music College, has matured in the Hessian region to such an extent that it shall be perspectively extended to comprehend the whole of the federal territory..

For more information please see: http://www.oper-in-die-schule.de

The Baden-Wuerttemberg Pop Academy not only acts as an academy but also as a center of excellence for all the aspects of the music industry and meets such challenges with numerous projects relative to European cooperation, regional development and business development.

For more information please see: http://www.popakademie.de

"SchoolJam" is a Germany wide Schoolband festival being organized on the initiative of the KEYBOARDS, GITARRE & BASS and STICKS magazines in cooperation with the music broadcast station VIVA, the Frankfurt Musikmesse and the Deutsche Musikrat yearly. Sought after are the best schoolbands in Germany, and they can win gigs on the occasion of big open air festivals (e. g. Rock am Ring) as well as national or international band tours and recording sessions in professional studios. However, even the schools win, as those of the eight finalist bands will be equipped with valuable musical instruments.
This event is not commercial, but shall promote the rock and pop culture in German schools with a lasting effect and function as a stepping stone for the best bands for their further development.

For more information please see: http://www.schooljam.de