Top 10 Finalist Bands Announced in NAMM’s Second Annual SchoolJam USA Battle of the Teen Bands Competition

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), today announced the top 10 qualifying bands that received the most public votes in the second annual SchoolJam USA competition. A national program that rewards both aspiring teen music makers and their respective school music programs, SchoolJam USA features the best amateur teen bands between the ages of 13 and 19. This year’s top finalists hail from more than 20 U.S. cities, including Austin, Texas;  Charlotte, North Carolina;  and Washington, D.C.

The bands will compete at the live SchoolJam USA finals event on Jan. 15, 2011, in Anaheim, Calif., at Downtown Disney during the weekend of the world-famous NAMM Show, the largest musical instruments and products trade show in the world. The winning band will earn the title of “Best Teen Band in the USA” along with a grand-prize trip to perform at the original SchoolJam festival in Frankfurt, Germany. The first-place band will also win a private music video recording session on the John Lennon Educational Bus, $1,000 towards the purchase of new music gear, and an additional $5,000 for their school music program. The remaining finalists will also receive money to purchase new gear as well as funding for their respective school music programs.

The SchoolJam USA top 10 band finalists, including two wild card* picks are (in alphabetical order):

• Clearly from Negligence (Fairport, N.Y.)*
• Dangerous Daze (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Orpheus (De Pere, Wis.)
• Peligro  (Gahanna, Ohio)
• Rooftop Manor (Port Washington, N.Y.)
• Schmillion (Austin, Texas)
• The Freefall (Fountain Valley, Calif.)
• The Jessica Prouty Band (Marblehead, Mass.)*
• Uprising (Raceland, La.)
• VIA (Salt Lake City, Utah)

“All of us at NAMM are inspired by these teen bands’ passion to make music and keep music education programs alive in their schools,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “Teens across the country are helping to create awareness of the importance of music-making in their lives, and SchoolJam USA offers them a platform to showcase their musical talents.”

Additionally, NAMM hosted the first-ever national Student Field Reporter contest for SchoolJam USA in conjunction with the online voting phase. Created to engage non-musician students and highlight the various career options within the music industry, the field reporter contest highlighted five first-place interviews online at www.schooljamusa.com. This year, two winners have been selected to attend the SchoolJam USA competition finals in Anaheim, Calif. The winners of the SchoolJam USA field reporter contest are (in alphabetical order):

Evan Deitzler (Cedar Crest High School; Lebanon, Pa.) interviewing the band, Coarse Feedback:http://www.schooltube.com/video/6f8c693344e8b4d0eda3/Deitzler-Coarse-Feedback-Interview-2

Brittany Schreiber (Smithtown High School East; St. James, N.Y.) interviewing the band, Fusion:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5g8vOt2kj0

These two students will receive complimentary travel and accommodations to the SchoolJam USA finals in Anaheim, Calif. They will fill the role of Official SchoolJam USA Field Reporters and will have the opportunity to interview the top-10 finalist bands, judges and celebrity guests. Contest winners, Brittany Schreiber and Evan Deitzler will also have the chance to attend the NAMM Show.

About SchoolJam USA
SchoolJam USA is an established music initiative, originally developed by MM MusikMedia Germany to promote popular and rock music in schools throughout Germany. The program has provided thousands of music-loving young adults with the opportunity to perform and network with their peers, increasing their love for playing music and encouraging them to become active musicians. In the United States, NAMM has collaborated with MENC, Music For All and the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus to develop SchoolJam USA, following two successful years of SchoolJam Texas, produced by NAMM and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in 2007 and 2008, in conjunction with the original SchoolJam in Germany.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM is the sponsor of the Wanna Play? campaign, a public awareness initiative designed to get more people connected with the proven benefits of playing music. For more information about Wanna Play?, please visit www.wannaplaymusic.com. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org.