"Rock the Cause 2005" Concert To Raise $ for Music in Community Schools

For additional information, call Merrimack College Public Relations at 978-837-5193.

North Andover, MA (February 2, 2005)

Two Merrimack College seniors, Phil Bond and Sean Dooley, are pulling together the second "Rock for a Cause 2005" concert to help preserve music programs in America's Schools.

The event, to be held in the Rogers Center for the Arts, will benefit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation - a charity dedicated to preserving music programs in America's schools.

"Rock for a Cause was founded on the idea of music helping music," said Phil Bond, a student organizer for the concert. "With the help of all these great bands, I hope we can bring people together for a fun night of acoustic rock, all while helping to save the music."

This charity concert on Saturday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.) will feature eight local musical acts that care about the state of musical education in local communities.

"In the first 'Rock for a Cause' concert we used the concept of music helping music to support the victims of the station night club who lost their lives supporting the music they loved. In this second 'Rock for a Cause,' our focus has turned to the future musicians of the world," said Sean Dooley, a student organizer of the concert. "Our aim is to give kids a chance to learn and better the world through their talents; we need music in our schools."

All acts featured will be in an "unplugged" acoustic format and they include: Todd Martin (www.toddmartinemusic.com), Jon Frederik Band (www.jonfrederikband.com), AJ Edwards (www.ajedwardsmusic.com), Dana Labb (www.labbrocks.com), Tom Clark (www.purevolume.com/tomclark), The 50 Ways (www.the50ways.com), Six Day Slide (www.sixdayslide.com), Will Dailey (www.willdailey.com) - A past nominee for a Boston Music Award for Best Male Vocalist and Best Male Singer/Songwriter

The first 'Rock the Cause' concert took place in 2003 and all proceeds went to the victims of "The Station" nightclub fire - the tragic blaze that killed approximately 100 people at the Rhode Island nightclub.