Shure Incorporated

LOS ANGELES, CA, December, 2010 — It’s an unfortunate reality that not every public school student has the opportunity to experience music classes or participate in a band, orchestra, or chorus. Thankfully, nonprofit programs like The School Tour exist to help expose inner-city youth to the power of live musical performances. Shure Incorporated is proud to support The School Tour in its mission of promoting unity through music and helping young artists showcase their talents.

“Our Company is dedicated to partnering with worthwhile initiatives like The School Tour,” says Shure President and CEO Sandy LaMantia. “We believe in the power of music and we’re honored to be playing even a small part in this program, which is changing lives and making a positive impact on inner-city kids.”

Since its inception in 2004, The School Tour has given back to the greater Los Angeles community by providing quality positive entertainment at the high schools and middle schools they serve. The interactive shows promote music, arts, and unity at a time when being a student in the Los Angeles Unified School District system is already challenging, due to racial boundaries and negative elements. The School Tour also aims to reinforce positive messages and confront social issues.

“Seeing these kids react to the shows is truly amazing,” says The School Tour’s Jud Nestor. “You just see them light up – seeing a live performance for the first time is a powerful experience and we’re hearing from these kids that they’re being inspired to pursue their own dreams in the music world. These shows let them know that no matter how rough their neighborhoods are, if they have the talent and the work ethic, they have the potential to really go places.”

During the past six years, The School Tour, founded by Randy Hankins, has welcomed pop, rock, R&B, rap artists, and groups to perform in front of more than 200,000 students and supporting audiences – not only at schools but also county fairs, parades, convention centers, nightclubs, and other special events. Not surprisingly, the Tour’s audio gear takes a beating, and after dozens of performances, its organizers realized they were in desperate need of high-quality microphones that would stand the test of time.

Shure was one of a handful of manufacturers that stepped up and provided gear to help The Tour continue its mission. Shure handheld wireless systems and SM58® microphones are now helping bring The School Tour’s performances to life. “I can’t say enough about Shure and their commitment to giving back to programs like ours,” says Nestor. “We went from taped-together scraps of mics to the best of the best, and you can hear the difference. These young artists are now performing with top-of-the-line, professional gear – it’s durable, it’s reliable, and it just sounds great. We’re so grateful to Shure for making it happen.”

The School Tour also enables new artists to begin building their fan base while developing their craft. The performances enable up-and-coming artists to connect with other young people and show them that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.

Many of The School Tour’s young artists have gone on to find professional success in the music world, signing with major record labels, touring with top artists, and even placing on the Billboard R&B sales charts.