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ON SEPTEMBER 20 IAN GILLAN WILL TAKE PART IN OPENING CEREMONY OF MUSIC SCHOOL IN ARMENIA
Mediamax, Armenia
July 10 2013
Yerevan /Mediamax/. The construction of N6 music school in Gyumri
realized within the joint project of Mediamax, Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR) and Australian Do Something organization is drawing to an end.
The interior works in the school will be completed soon. Owing
to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund's support, the school will be newly
furnished.
The solemn opening ceremony will be held on September 20. Rock star,
Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan with his wife and Managing Director
of Do Something, initiator of Rock Aid Armenia project Jon Dee will
take part in the event.
The construction of Gyumri N6 music school will mark the logical end
of Rock Aid Armenia project started back in 1989.
A few months after the devastating Spitak earthquake (1988) that
killed 25 thousand Armenians and left hundreds of thousands homeless,
24 year old Jon Dee organized the Rock Aid Armenia project in London.
British rock stars recorded a top 40 cover version of Deep Purple's
Smoke on the Water and helped to release the special "Earthquake
Album". Revenue from the single and album sales was contributed as
aid to Armenia.
Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi in Armenia in 2009.
Photo: PanArmenian Photo.
In 2009, Mediamax decided to honor the participants of Rock Aid
Armenia and contacted Jon Dee who lives in Australia and heads the
Do Something organization that he set up with tennis star and former
Wimbledon champion Pat Cash. As Jon was planning to re-release Rock Aid
Armenia's Smoke on the Water to raise additional funds for Armenia,
Mediamax and Do Something joined forces to implement the Armenia
Grateful 2 Rock / Rock Aid Armenia project.
In October 2009, Mediamax invited Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath, Geoff Downes from Yes/Asia and Jon Dee to
Armenia. Under the Armenian President's decree, they were awarded
an Order of Honor. It was later that Brian May from Queen and David
Gilmour from Pink Floyd were given their Orders of Honors by the
Armenian Embassy in London.
Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Geoff Downes and Jon Dee visited the Octet
Music School in Gyumri during their trip to Armenia. If there has ever
existed a painful blend of poverty and talent, then it was vividly
exposed at the Gyumri Octet School of Music. Many of the students come
from underprivileged families in Gyumri. Their music school has been
made up of "domiks" (metal sheet dwellings) that were left over from
the 1988 earthquake. The promise to rebuild these temporary premises
with a proper building has not happened. Despite their dilapidated
premises, the Octet Music School has kept producing talent year
after year.
The Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) has been sponsoring the
underprivileged students of the School for many years. A hint of hope
came to the school about 5 years ago when a very special couple from
the United States, Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Janet Mardigian visited
the students, accompanied by the FAR Board of Directors. "I would
never forget those children, tears were coming to my eyes every time
I recalled their beautiful musical performance" - said Mrs. Janet
Mardigian. They have never stopped thinking about the ways that they
could help the children.
The children's performance also struck the rock heroes Ian Gillan,
Tony Iommi and Geoff Downes. Together with Jon Dee, they announced
that they would help to rebuild the school. By the end of 2009, FAR,
Mediamax and Do Something signed a trilateral agreement to achieve
this outcome.
In March 2010, Mediamax and Do Something organized two charitable
concerts by Ian Gillan with the Armenian Symphonic Orchestra in
Yerevan. General sponsorship of the concerts by leading Armenian
mobile operator VivaCell-MTS allowed to raise 45.000 USD. A total of
USD 110.000 has been raised for rebuilding the school - the Armenian
Government, Geoff Downes, EMI Records and Orange Armenia also made
contributions. The project always enjoyed the personal support of
the Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.
In 2010, Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi set up the WhoCares ad-hoc
super-group to raise funds for the Octet school. In May 2011, Edel
Music released the first single by WhoCares with 2 brand new songs
- Out of My Mind and Holy Water. In July 2012, Edel Music released
the WhoCares album that comprises the 2 songs from the single and
unreleased and rare material from Gillan and Iommi's back catalogue.
Gillan and Iommi made an advance payment of 15.000 USD for the school
and the rest will be transferred after the album sales.
In July 2012 the FAR Board briefed the Mardigian Family Foundation
about these extensive fundraising efforts. The following day, the
Foundation informed FAR that it will almost triple the funds raised
so far. This generous donation was extremely important and it allowed
FAR, Mediamax and Do Something to launch the construction of the
school in August 2012. -
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/7705/
Mediamax, Armenia
July 10 2013
Yerevan /Mediamax/. The construction of N6 music school in Gyumri
realized within the joint project of Mediamax, Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR) and Australian Do Something organization is drawing to an end.
The interior works in the school will be completed soon. Owing
to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund's support, the school will be newly
furnished.
The solemn opening ceremony will be held on September 20. Rock star,
Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan with his wife and Managing Director
of Do Something, initiator of Rock Aid Armenia project Jon Dee will
take part in the event.
The construction of Gyumri N6 music school will mark the logical end
of Rock Aid Armenia project started back in 1989.
A few months after the devastating Spitak earthquake (1988) that
killed 25 thousand Armenians and left hundreds of thousands homeless,
24 year old Jon Dee organized the Rock Aid Armenia project in London.
British rock stars recorded a top 40 cover version of Deep Purple's
Smoke on the Water and helped to release the special "Earthquake
Album". Revenue from the single and album sales was contributed as
aid to Armenia.
Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi in Armenia in 2009.
Photo: PanArmenian Photo.
In 2009, Mediamax decided to honor the participants of Rock Aid
Armenia and contacted Jon Dee who lives in Australia and heads the
Do Something organization that he set up with tennis star and former
Wimbledon champion Pat Cash. As Jon was planning to re-release Rock Aid
Armenia's Smoke on the Water to raise additional funds for Armenia,
Mediamax and Do Something joined forces to implement the Armenia
Grateful 2 Rock / Rock Aid Armenia project.
In October 2009, Mediamax invited Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath, Geoff Downes from Yes/Asia and Jon Dee to
Armenia. Under the Armenian President's decree, they were awarded
an Order of Honor. It was later that Brian May from Queen and David
Gilmour from Pink Floyd were given their Orders of Honors by the
Armenian Embassy in London.
Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Geoff Downes and Jon Dee visited the Octet
Music School in Gyumri during their trip to Armenia. If there has ever
existed a painful blend of poverty and talent, then it was vividly
exposed at the Gyumri Octet School of Music. Many of the students come
from underprivileged families in Gyumri. Their music school has been
made up of "domiks" (metal sheet dwellings) that were left over from
the 1988 earthquake. The promise to rebuild these temporary premises
with a proper building has not happened. Despite their dilapidated
premises, the Octet Music School has kept producing talent year
after year.
The Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) has been sponsoring the
underprivileged students of the School for many years. A hint of hope
came to the school about 5 years ago when a very special couple from
the United States, Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Janet Mardigian visited
the students, accompanied by the FAR Board of Directors. "I would
never forget those children, tears were coming to my eyes every time
I recalled their beautiful musical performance" - said Mrs. Janet
Mardigian. They have never stopped thinking about the ways that they
could help the children.
The children's performance also struck the rock heroes Ian Gillan,
Tony Iommi and Geoff Downes. Together with Jon Dee, they announced
that they would help to rebuild the school. By the end of 2009, FAR,
Mediamax and Do Something signed a trilateral agreement to achieve
this outcome.
In March 2010, Mediamax and Do Something organized two charitable
concerts by Ian Gillan with the Armenian Symphonic Orchestra in
Yerevan. General sponsorship of the concerts by leading Armenian
mobile operator VivaCell-MTS allowed to raise 45.000 USD. A total of
USD 110.000 has been raised for rebuilding the school - the Armenian
Government, Geoff Downes, EMI Records and Orange Armenia also made
contributions. The project always enjoyed the personal support of
the Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.
In 2010, Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi set up the WhoCares ad-hoc
super-group to raise funds for the Octet school. In May 2011, Edel
Music released the first single by WhoCares with 2 brand new songs
- Out of My Mind and Holy Water. In July 2012, Edel Music released
the WhoCares album that comprises the 2 songs from the single and
unreleased and rare material from Gillan and Iommi's back catalogue.
Gillan and Iommi made an advance payment of 15.000 USD for the school
and the rest will be transferred after the album sales.
In July 2012 the FAR Board briefed the Mardigian Family Foundation
about these extensive fundraising efforts. The following day, the
Foundation informed FAR that it will almost triple the funds raised
so far. This generous donation was extremely important and it allowed
FAR, Mediamax and Do Something to launch the construction of the
school in August 2012. -
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/7705/