Kids Music Day Ambassadors
Special Thanks to these artists for supporting Music Education!
Julie Andrews
Iconic stage, film and musical actress best known for her starring roles in two classics: The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Julie won the Oscar for her role in Mary Poppins and was introduced to a whole new generation of fans as Queen of Genovia in The Princess Diaries. Her latest creative endeavor is a Netflix original series for kids entitled Julie's Greenroom.
Richie Sambora
Rock guitarist, songwriter, singer, best known for being the lead guitar player for Bon Jovi. He co-wrote many hits including "Livin On a Prayer", "It's My Life" and "Wanted Dead or Alive". Richie was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 along with his Bon Jovi band mates.
Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart
Founders of the legendary classic rock band Heart that scored over a dozen Top 40 Billboard hits including: "Crazy On You", "Barracuda" and "Magic Man" in the 70s and "Never", "These Dreams", "All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You" and the #1 hit "Alone". In 2013, Ann and Nancy were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Sarah McLachlan
3 time Grammy winning artist who has sold over 30 million albums in her career. Best known for songs like "I Will Remember You", "Building a Mystery" and "Adia", she won many new fans with her poignant contribution to the Toy Story 2 soundtrack, "When She Loved Me". Sarah was also the founder of the Lilith Fair which was a concert tour that spotlighted female artists for 3 years in the late 90s.
Jack Black
Actor and musician with starring roles in numerous movies including School of Rock, King Kong, Kung-Fu Panda, Tropic Thunder, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Jack is also lead vocalist for the comedic rock duo "Tenacious D" which won a Grammy award in 2015 for the song "The Last in Line". On December 21, 2018, Black created a YouTube channel, "Jablinski Games", which currently has over 4 million subscribers and 51 million views.
Pat Benatar & Neil "Spyder" Giraldo
Pat Benatars staggering vocal range and Neil Giraldo's trailblazing artistry as a guitarist, producer, songwriter and arranger, together forge the undeniable chemistry and unprecedented sound that created some of rocks most memorable hits, including "Love Is a Battlefield," "Heartbreaker," "We Live for Love," "We Belong," and the signature, "Promises in The Dark." Together they have sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won four consecutive Grammy awards.
Vanessa Williams
Singer and actress who in 1984 was the first African-American to be crowned Miss America. As a performer, Vanessa scored five Top 40 Billboard hits including "Dreamin'", "Save the Best for Last" and "Colors of the Wind" from the Disney movie Pocahontas. As an actress Vanessa received two Emmy nominations for her work in the hit TV series Ugly Betty and an NAACP image award for her starring role in the movie "Soul Food".
Michael Feinstein
Singer, pianist, and Ambassador for the Great American Songbook. Michael's career has included five Grammy Award nominations, Emmy nominated PBS-TV specials, an acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe. Appearances have included iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House. His work as an educator and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.
Kenny Loggins
Two-time Grammy winning artist with over 25 million albums sold worldwide. His songs have left his musical imprint on "the soundtrack of our lives." which hits like "This Is It", "I'm Alright", "Footloose", "Danger Zone" and more. Loggins became the first major rock star to dedicate himself to recording music for children as his album Return to Pooh Corner remains the best-selling children's album of the last 20 years. Loggins regularly lends his musical talent and generous heart to support youth-based programs with his core belief that "Every child should experience the healing power of music."
Victor Wooten
5 time Grammy winning bass guitarist and educator. Victor was named "Bass Player of the Year" three times by Bass Player magazine and Rolling Stone magazine ranked Victor as one of the Top 10 bassists of all time. He is the founder of the Victor Wootens Center for Music & Nature offering music and life educational lessons to kids and adults.
Damien Escobar
World renowned violinist, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Damien's cross-over style consisting of a mix of classical, jazz, pop, R&B, and hip hop. He performed along with his brother at Barack Obama's 2009 Inauguration, Oprah Winfrey's "The Life You Want Tour" and has been featured in numerous media including People Magazine and the Today Show.
Todd Rundgren
Artist, songwriter and record producer with numerous hit records as a solo artist and as part of the band Utopia including "I Saw The Light", "Hello It's Me" and "We Got To Get You A Woman". His 1983 song "Bang The Drum All Day" is still played regularly on the radio and at sports arenas everywhere. Todd's acclaimed production credits include Badfinger's "Straight Up", Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band" and the Meat Loaf classic "Bat Out of Hell".
Philip Lawrence
Producer and songwriter best known for his work with the songwriting and production team The Smeezingtons, as well as Bruno Mars. Philip has won a total of 8 Grammy Awards and his latest recording project, "24K Magic", won at the Grammys in the categories - Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance. Lawrence is co-writer and co-producer on the majority of the songs released under these ventures.
Bernie Williams
5 time MLB All-Star who helped the New York Yankees win four World Series Championships during his 16 year baseball career. Bernie is also a classically trained guitarist releasing two Jazz albums and was nominated for a Latin Grammy. His second album "Moving Forward" featured guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Secada, Dave Koz and an All-Star cast of renowned studio musicians and was Billboard Magazine's #2 Contemporary Jazz album for 5 straight weeks.
Mandy Harvey
Jazz & pop singer who rose to fame winning 4th place during the 12th Season of America's Got Talent. Mandy's performances won over the judges and America with her beautiful voice and songs, along with her determination, despite a connective tissue disorder causing her to become deaf at the age of 18. Mandy is a true believer of using music to help break down barriers.
Neil Nayyar
Our newest Kids Music Day Ambassador is also the youngest and our Kids Music Day Spokesperson for 2022. At the age of 12, Neil could already play 44 different musical instruments. Now 16, Neil has mastered playing over 100 different musical instruments. Recently Neil has appeared in multiple Honda commercials in California and was accepted into this years Grammy Camp in Los Angeles. Neil is a huge supporter of music education for kids and is honored to represent Keep Music Alive as our Kids Music Day Spokesperson for 2022.
Sabrina Patel
- Junior Kids Music Day Ambassador
Just 10 years old, Sabrina has already performed the national anthem on the violin at dozens of major and minor league sporting events, state capitols and more in 15 different states. Her favorite highlights include performing for NBA’s Detroit Pistons, MLB’s Texas Rangers. the North Carolina and South Dakota State Capitols and performing “God Bless America” at the NASCAR Infinity Series in Martinsville, VA. Sabrina has studied the Suzuki Method of Violin for 6 years and been part of numerous orchestras; most currently is a member of Songbird Rising Suzuki Strings based in Austin, Texas