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IAN GILLAN AND TONY IOMMI ADDRESS TO GYUMRI MUSIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
Friday 19 September 2014 13:03
Photo: Mediamax
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Lead singer of Deep Purple
Ian Gillan
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Rock stars Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Tony
Iommi (Black Sabbath) addressed to Gyumri N6 Music School students
and teachers.
September 20 will mark the first anniversary of the opening of the
school built within the joint project of the Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR), Mediamax Media Company and Do Something Australian Organization.
"To all the staff and students, please know that I am thinking
of you on this day; one year from the opening. I hope you are
enjoying the school and - most important - that you are enjoying the
music. Music is a friend for life and souls - having touched - are
forever entwined. Peace, love and respect to you all", Ian Gillan's
letter reads.
"Dear Headmaster, Teachers and Pupils! I'm afraid my work schedule has
prevented me from coming to see you, nevertheless I'd like to send
you my congratulations on your first year anniversary. It's amazing
that what started as a conversation with lan Gillan has now become a
building and successful school. People all over the world know about
you and have contributed to the rebuilding. I hope the day goes well
and look forward to visiting you at some point in the future", Tony
Iommi's letter reads.
The opening ceremony of the music school took place on September 20,
2013. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, Do Something Chairman Jon Dee and
Mardigian Family representatives attended the opening.
***
After devastating Spitak earthquake in 1988 N6 music school in Gyumri
has been made up of "domiks" (metal sheet dwellings).
A few months after the devastating Spitak earthquake 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.
In 2009, Armenian Mediamax media company 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" 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. Over the
past 2 years, 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.
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 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.
In summer 2012 the FAR Board recently briefed the Mardigian Family
Foundation about these extensive fundraising efforts. The following
day, their Foundation informed FAR that it will almost triple the
funds raised so far and allocate around USD 350.000. This generous
donation was extremely important and it allowed FAR,Mediamax and Do
Something to launch the construction of the school.
The construction was carried out by "Kanaka" company, which had won
the tender, organized by the FAR.
In January 2011, the owner of music store Millbank Music in Canada Tim
Irving contacted Ian Gillan's manager Phil Banfield and said that he
would like to provide music instruments to the Gyumri school. Tim
noted that he had been the fan of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath
since childhood and he would be honored to take part in WhoCares
project implemented by Ian Gillan and Toni Iommi. Over two years,
Tim Irving collected an impressive number of music instruments
for N6 music school in Gyumri - 24 violins, 12 acoustic guitars,
12 ukeleles, 4 alto Saxophones, 4 trumpets, 2 mandolins, 2 flutes,
3 hand drums, 1 conga kit with stand, 3 Yamaha portable keyboards,
1 Yamaha 88 note digital piano etc.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/11654/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2vxQApPg40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tsw3nKDlBE
From: A. Papazian
Friday 19 September 2014 13:03
Photo: Mediamax
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Lead singer of Deep Purple
Ian Gillan
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Rock stars Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Tony
Iommi (Black Sabbath) addressed to Gyumri N6 Music School students
and teachers.
September 20 will mark the first anniversary of the opening of the
school built within the joint project of the Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR), Mediamax Media Company and Do Something Australian Organization.
"To all the staff and students, please know that I am thinking
of you on this day; one year from the opening. I hope you are
enjoying the school and - most important - that you are enjoying the
music. Music is a friend for life and souls - having touched - are
forever entwined. Peace, love and respect to you all", Ian Gillan's
letter reads.
"Dear Headmaster, Teachers and Pupils! I'm afraid my work schedule has
prevented me from coming to see you, nevertheless I'd like to send
you my congratulations on your first year anniversary. It's amazing
that what started as a conversation with lan Gillan has now become a
building and successful school. People all over the world know about
you and have contributed to the rebuilding. I hope the day goes well
and look forward to visiting you at some point in the future", Tony
Iommi's letter reads.
The opening ceremony of the music school took place on September 20,
2013. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, Do Something Chairman Jon Dee and
Mardigian Family representatives attended the opening.
***
After devastating Spitak earthquake in 1988 N6 music school in Gyumri
has been made up of "domiks" (metal sheet dwellings).
A few months after the devastating Spitak earthquake 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.
In 2009, Armenian Mediamax media company 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" 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. Over the
past 2 years, 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.
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 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.
In summer 2012 the FAR Board recently briefed the Mardigian Family
Foundation about these extensive fundraising efforts. The following
day, their Foundation informed FAR that it will almost triple the
funds raised so far and allocate around USD 350.000. This generous
donation was extremely important and it allowed FAR,Mediamax and Do
Something to launch the construction of the school.
The construction was carried out by "Kanaka" company, which had won
the tender, organized by the FAR.
In January 2011, the owner of music store Millbank Music in Canada Tim
Irving contacted Ian Gillan's manager Phil Banfield and said that he
would like to provide music instruments to the Gyumri school. Tim
noted that he had been the fan of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath
since childhood and he would be honored to take part in WhoCares
project implemented by Ian Gillan and Toni Iommi. Over two years,
Tim Irving collected an impressive number of music instruments
for N6 music school in Gyumri - 24 violins, 12 acoustic guitars,
12 ukeleles, 4 alto Saxophones, 4 trumpets, 2 mandolins, 2 flutes,
3 hand drums, 1 conga kit with stand, 3 Yamaha portable keyboards,
1 Yamaha 88 note digital piano etc.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/11654/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2vxQApPg40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tsw3nKDlBE
From: A. Papazian