The D’Addario Foundation, the philanthropic arm of guitar strings and accessories manufacturer D’Addario, has announced its “Back 2 School Benefit” concert set to take place at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on November 2nd. The event will feature performances from My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, pop singer Mandy Moore, actor/musician John C Reilly, and many more.
The Back 2 School Class of 2019 event is the first of its kind from the D’Addario brand, as the fundraising concert will look to raise money to provide youth with access to music programs, college scholarships, and even encourage more young females to try their hand a the guitar via the manufacturer’s “Girls In Music Initiative.”
The event will be lead by The Watkins Family Hour as the house band, which includes acclaimed producer/songwriter Mike Viola (Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis). Other artists set to perform throughout the evening include Sara and Sean Watkins, Langhorne Slim, music/comedy duo Garfunkel & Oates, Blake Mills, and Inara George (The Bird and the Bee). More participating artists will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to the early November event.
According to the announcement via press release, The D’Addario Foundation utilizes up to 10% of D’Addario’s earnings every year to fund over 200 non-profit programs.
“Bringing music instruction back into schools and communities is a simple but deeply powerful way to improve our education system and boost creativity and academic achievement in students,” D’Addario Foundation’s Suzanne D’Addario Brouder mentioned in a statement with the announcement. “We believe in the power of music to unlock creativity, boost self-confidence, and enhance academics. By making music education accessible, we can positively affect social change and foster better citizens of the world.”
Tickets for the November 2nd event are now on sale here. Head to The D’Addario Foundation website for more info on the event.