Casio Gifts Electronic Keyboards to the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation

Casio Gifts Electronic Keyboards to the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation

CDP-130 and PX-350MBK Keyboards Provide Ideal Creative Outlet for Musicians









DOVER, N.J., Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Casio America, Inc., a leading electronic musical instrument provider, is proud to announce the donation of nine electronic keyboards to the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana. The donated keyboards will be part of the new George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center and used during performances, festivals, and for teaching budding musicians how to play the piano.

"When we learned about the Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, we were deeply moved by its mission to foster an appreciation of music within the community," said Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio's Electronic Musical Instrument Division. "New Orleans is such a cultural epicenter, for jazz music in particular, and we wanted to give back to this great organization so they can cultivate a love of music among the great jazz musicians of tomorrow."

Casio's donation of eight CDP-130s and one PX-350MBK will be used at the Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music, a free program that has operated on local university campuses since 1990 that will now operate at the new Heritage Center. The building features seven classrooms including dedicated labs for electronic musical instruments and a 200-seat performance hall.

"We are very grateful to Casio for its generous donation of keyboards to our Heritage School of Music," said Don Marshall, Executive Director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. "This equipment will be well used by a large number of students for a long time to come. Casio's donation will help us achieve our goal of enriching the lives of children in our community by giving them the gift of music."

The CDP-130 is a simplified stage piano with an 88-note weighted action keyboard and built-in speakers. It features a spring-less hammer system that is similar to the one used by grand pianos and provides a keyboard touch that is naturally firm so lower notes play relatively heavier than higher notes, just like the keys on a grand piano.

The PX-350MBK is part of Casio's Privia digital piano line and comes equipped with Casio's proprietary AiR technology which redefines the digital piano experience with richer and more genuine sounds. The keyboard features a combination of a new keyboard action and a powerful new sound engine to provide a new level of detail, nuance and expression for a superior grand piano experience.

The CDP-130 (MSRP: $629.99) and PX-350MBK (MSRP: $1,099.99) are currently available at select music dealers nationwide. For additional information regarding Casio's portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.casiomusicgear.com.

About Casio America, Inc.
Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to fulfill its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casiousa.com.

About The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival & Foundation

In 1970, the Foundation was set up to be the nonprofit owner of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - Jazz Fest - with a mission to sow the seeds of our unique culture for generations to come. In the early days, the festival wasn't the world-famous event that it is today - one that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans and pumps $300 million a year into the local economy. No, it is often said that at the first Jazz Fest there were more performers onstage than people in the audience. But the founders believed that Jazz Fest would one day grow into a major success. Everyone involved wanted to make sure that the festival's proceeds would be redistributed into the local community. So the Foundation, a 501© (3) nonprofit organization, was established with a distinguished board of directors and a full-time staff. Its mission: "To promote, preserve, perpetuate and encourage the music, arts, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities." To that end, the Foundation has developed numerous programs and assets. Click here to learn more about them, and here to contribute to the Foundation's efforts.





SOURCE Casio America, Inc.

Casio America, Inc.

CONTACT: Christine Azzolino/Amanda Pecora, Coyne PR, (973) 588-2000, cazzolino@coynepr.com, apecora@coynepr.com; S. Vander Schans, Casio America, Inc., (973) 361-5400, svanderschans@casio.com

Web Site: http://www.casiousa.com


-------
Profile: intent