Taboo of the six-time Grammy Award-winning group, The Black Eyed Peas, surprised students at Miramonte Elementary when he delivered free instruments and performed with students at their annual spring concert on Friday, June 17th.
The event was in partnership with Little Kids Rock, a leading nonprofit provider of free musical instruments and teacher trainings to U.S. public schools, including the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Taboo helped Little Kids Rock augment the program at Miramonte Elementary by delivering 10 free, electric guitars provided by Fender, and performed with the students at their annual spring concert. The donation is part of the more than $1 million dollars worth of instruments and resources Little Kids Rock has donated to the LAUSD since 2004.
“It’s an honor for me to support music education in my community. As a parent and a lifelong Angeleno, I recognize the importance of the Arts in our classrooms,” said Taboo. “Little Kids Rock does such important work keeping music in the schools and I encourage everyone to get involved by donating and supporting their cause.”
Taboo grew up just 20 minutes from Miramonte Elementary in East Los Angeles where, like most elementary schools in the LAUSD, music programming was almost non-existent – that is until third grade general education teacher, Jose Vergara, received free instruments and accompanying curriculum from Little Kids Rock.
“Almost everyday I get asked by parents and students who want to join the Little Kids Rock program,” Vergara says. “My students have become the pride of their school.”
Little Kids Rock plans to further expand its Los Angeles chapter in the 2011-12 school year by bringing its time-tested and exciting program to more than two dozen new LAUSD schools.
“My students come into my room before school and during their recess to practice and jam. They collaborate, write their own songs and help each other learn the instruments,” says Vergara. “I believe that Little Kids Rock has changed the culture of the school.”
