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Shure Supports Nonprofit Group’s Efforts to Bring Music to City Kids
LOS ANGELES — Not every public school
student has the opportunity to experience
music classes or participate in a band, orchestra,
or chorus. But nonprofit programs such as
The School Tour are trying to help, and Shure
Inc. is lending a helping hand as well.
Since 2004, The School Tour, founded
by Randy Hankins, has provided interactive
shows that promote music, arts, and unity
with the hopes of promoting positive messages
and confront social issues. The nonprofit
group invites pop, rock, R&B, rap artists
and others to perform in front of more than
200,000 students and supporting audiences.
“Seeing these kids react to the shows
is truly amazing,” said 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.”
With performances not only at schools
but also at county fairs, parades, convention
centers, nightclubs, and other special events,
the Tour’s audio gear takes a beating, and
after dozens of performances, its organizers
realized they were in need of high-quality microphones
that would stand the test of time.
The School Tour also enables new artists
to begin building their fan base while devel-
oping 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.
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.
“Our Company is dedicated to partnering
with worthwhile initiatives like The School
Tour,” said Sandy LaMantia, Shure president
and CEO. “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.”
“I can’t say enough about Shure and their
commitment to giving back to programs
like ours,” said Nestor. “We went from tapedtogether
scraps of mics to the best of the
best, and you can hear the difference. These
young artists are now performing with topof-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.”
Gand Concert Sound Supplies GEO T, PM5Ds for Snoop Dog Concert
EVANSTON, IL — Gand Concert Sound
recently provided a 42-box flown NEXO
GEO T line array for a concert with Snoop
Dog and opening act Kid Cudi held at
the Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of
Northwestern University. The sound system
included 20 NEXO CD18 subwoofers
with PS15 monitors used on stage by the
artists. NEXO Alpha ALEF 3-way side fills
with S2 subs and PS10s were implemented
for front fill on the wide stage for the
dance floor.
“The unusual layout of the venue
was tackled by hanging four columns of
NEXO GEO T boxes with the two offstage
columns being larger to cover additional
side balcony seating,” said Gand’s president,
Gary Gand. Power for the show consisted
of a mix of 36 Camco V6 and V200
on mains, five Yamaha PC9501N amps on
front fills and monitors, all with control
from 12 NEXO NX242ES processors.
Yamaha PM5D digital mixing consoles
were supplied for both front of house and
monitors and mixed by Snoop Dog’s crew,
including Dave “Dizzel” at front of house
and “Kez” on monitors. The mics were all
Shure except for Snoop’s RF, which was a
custom Sennheiser.
Along with the PA, Gand
also provided back line with assistance
from Andy’s Pro Hire.
“We supplied a DJ rig with 2
CDJ 1000 MKIII, two DJM800
mixers, a five-piece DW Collector
Series Drum Kit with Paiste
cymbals, Roland SPDS sampler,
Yamaha Motif ES7, Roland Fantom
X6, and bass rig with GK
2001 RBH and 2 RBH410 cabs,”
noted backline tech Taylor Kat.
The setup at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena
www.fohonline.com 2011 JANUARY 9