Teachers Find New CD of Global Children’s Choirs a Captivating Tool

Los Angeles, CA, February 17, 2011 --(PR.com)-- One World, One People, One Voice: the message is in the music of ….and Love Rages On! With their new album, released today, AO Music have provided teachers of myriad topics -- music, sociology, geography, tolerance – a captivating new tool for connecting with their young students. The group’s music combines uplifting vocals and instrumental interludes – recorded in real time by real musicians – with the sounds of children’s choirs from the United States, South Africa, China and the Republic of Georgia. A stunning complementary video shares images of the children performing one of the key tracks, “Ena Na Lena.”

In a recent review of the new album, veteran music reviewer Michael Diamond wrote, “This album is majestic in its vision and magnificent in its presence, promoting a message of urgent relevance for our times.”

AO is an ancient Polynesian word that can mean either “pure light” or “all colors.” It’s a world that fits perfectly with the mission of the group’s four principals -- singer/string instrumentalist/composer Richard Gannaway, keyboard, synth player/composer Jay Oliver, singer/composer Miriam Stockley and India-based co-producer Sandeep Chowta – who collaborate with the goal of creating universally hybrid sounds that span continents and cultures.

Sheila Geiger, a Studio City, CA-based children’s music teacher said, “The children really resonate with the sound of other kids singing on the CD. Their so intrigued with the beautiful images of children from around the globe, especially those shown in the music video.”

Clearly, the use of children’s choirs is an important part of AO Music’s sound, and the consciousness-raising co-founder of the group, Richard Gannaway, last week announced an alliance with HavServe.org to fund and formulate children’s music programs in Haiti. In the first stage of the alliance, AO Music will direct their fans to HavServe’s secure fundraising location on FirstGiving.org, in an effort to raise $5000 to launch a pilot program for which Gannaway will travel to Haiti to work with the children and to capture the uniquely joyous sound of Haitian music. Ultimately, HavServe’s goal is to repeat the music program in villages throughout Haiti on an ongoing basis to focus and uplift the tens of thousands of children displaced by the earthquake in 2010. Within five years, the partners resolved to create a “best of the best” Haitian children’s choir to perform with other choirs throughout the world on future AO Music albums. The organizations use a customized AO Music page and widgets from the secure fundraising site Firstgiving.org to safely collect and track donations. Interested teachers and classrooms are encouraged to use this opportunity to teach about the plight of Haitian children, and to fundraise for the cause; the donation site is located at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/AOMusic4Haiti/HavServe-volunteer-service-network

Gannaway and Oliver have been refining the sound of AO Music for more than a decade and composed theme music for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. AO Music enlisted Stockley after hearing her voice in Karl Jenkins’ double-platinum selling Adiemus project. She also helped compose the music on the nine tracks on….and Love Rages On! Sandeep Chowta, a producer and composer with deep roots in Indian music, recruited and recorded the Indian musicians that contribute to the album’s international ambiance. ….and Love Rages On! expands and enriches the ambitious vision Gannaway and Oliver introduced on Twirl and Grow Wild. They continue to move toward a musical expression that incorporates the sounds of rock, folk, and world music.

About AOMusic:
AOMusic -- "music for a new eon" -- includes musicians Richard Gannaway, Jay Oliver and Miriam Stockley, who collectively have worked with Sheryl Crow, The Eagles, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Chaka Khan, Jimmy Buffett, Celine Dion, Bonnie Raitt, Chick Corea, Dave Weckl & many more. Key contributing artists include Sandeep Chowta, Andy Georges, George Bernardo, Doug Lunn, and various children’s choirs throughout the world. Their latest album "…and Love Rages On!" is released in February 2011; all three of their albums are available from the group’s website (http://aomusic.com/ao/frameset.asp), Burnside Distribution Corporation in the US (http://www.bdcdistribution.com), and Silenzio Music in Europe (www.SILENZIO.de). Their music is also available worldwide on iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon.

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