FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Legendary Les Paul

to Deliver Keynote Address

at

TI:ME 2005 National Conference

Music Player Live! Music Summit

 

Rock-and-roll icon to speak on the impact

of technology on music education

 

 

SAN MATEO, CA – JUNE 30, 2005 – Music Player Network, the world's leading music instrument publishing company, is proud to announce that legendary rock-and-roll guitarist and pioneer of the electric guitar, Les Paul, will be the keynote speaker for this October’s inaugural Music Player Live! consumer music summit.  The keynote address, co-sponsored by TI:ME, the Technology Institute for Music Educators, will take place on Saturday, October 22 at 5:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Times Square in New York City – part of three full days of events celebrating the music industry, music technology and the hottest gear for the holidays. 

 

TI:ME’s 2005 national conference, to be held concurrently with the Music Player Live! Summit, will feature instructors and music educators using the synergy of music education and music technology to come together in a rich environment of technological innovation. Expert clinicians will provide a wealth of information for novices, intermediate, and advanced users of various technologies. Students will be encouraged to attend the 3-day event as well with a special $15 student ticket price.

 

The keynote address by Paul will focus on the coming together of music education and technology and the future of music education in the classroom.  The keynote will also speak to Music Player Live!’s and TI:ME’s partnership with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, and raise awareness for music education in schools. 

 

Music Player Live! (MPL!) is the ultimate consumer music summit featuring three days of exhibits, live performances and interviews, with lessons and panel discussions aimed at guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, and recording enthusiasts at every skill level.  With an expanded format based on last year’s successful Bass Player Live!, Music Player Live! will provide a fantastic opportunity for musicians interested in improving their skills and knowledge; to get hands-on experience with the most up-to-date equipment, as well as vintage gear. This will be a unique opportunity for musicians to glean advice and techniques from top professionals and get hands on experience with the equipment they use as tools of the trade.   

 

Les Paul Biography

Les Paul not only established himself as a rock-n-roll icon, but assured his immortality with the development of the solidbody electric guitar. A popular guitar player of the 1940’s, Paul focused his talents on both music performance and electronic design.  The 1948 hit, “Brazil” established Paul’s flair for innovation by featuring six self-played guitar parts. This demonstration earned him a reputation as “father of multi-track recording” and sold Gibson on the idea of the solidbody guitar. The instrument transformed the original wood plank design of a guitar into a sleek and elegant piece of art. Today Gibson makes eight different versions of the solidbody, ranging from the Les Paul Standard to the Les Paul Melody Maker.  The legend himself performs weekly at the Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway.