Children's Music Star Justin Roberts To Give First Ever "Listen To Your Buds" Concerts
Rockville, MD - July 14, 2008 The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and Parents' Choice Foundation have announced today that they are forming a national coalition of leading musicians who are popular with young children to promote safe usage of personal audio technology.
Justin Roberts, who has won national acclaim and five Parents' Choice Awards for his power-pop songs and song writing, has already signed on to help with the effort. Roberts will give the first Listen To Your Buds (www.listentoyourbuds.org) concerts November 19 at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The morning and afternoon events will be by invitation only and for the enjoyment of local school children. However, they will also help "kick off" ASHA's Convention, slated for Chicago later in the same week.
By becoming the first musician to commit to ASHA and Parents' Choice's plans, Roberts pledged to share the Buds message about safe listening with kids everywhere;encourage [other] Parents' Choice award-winning musicians and all other musicians who care about the hearing health of children to join the Buds safe listening coalition and take the Buds pledge;and encourage safe listening of music. Every musician who indicates a similar interest will be asked to take such a pledge before they join.
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to entertain and educate children with my music in a fun and lighthearted way," Roberts says of his upcoming Listen To Your Buds concerts.
"It's an honor to be at the forefront of the ASHA and Parents' Choice coalition. I hope my fellow musicians will join me as we support this important initiative."
The entire effort belongs to a broader ASHA public education campaign, America: Tuned In Today...But Tuned Out Tomorrow? which promotes safe listening of personal audio technology and which is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association, Califone International, Unwired Technology, and the rock group O.A.R. The campaign delivers safe listening messages to all age groups through various means and it has been honored for two straight years by the American Society of Association Executives.
"We are very excited by this new endeavor with Parents' Choice Foundation," ASHA President Catherine Gottfred says. "We have every expectation that it will infuse our campaign with even greater creativity and expertise than it already has, and that it will prove an effective way to reach the young with a very important message."
Parents' Choice President Claire Green concurs. "We are very enthusiastic about giving children and parents, through ASHA's campaign, the information they need to use personal audio technology safely," Green says. "Our joint effort promises to be a fun and creative way to foster hearing health and prevent hearing loss."
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 130,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and dizziness disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders. www.asha.org.
About Parents' Choice Foundation
Established in 1978, Parents' Choice Foundation is the nation's oldest nonprofit guide to quality children's media and toys. Parents' Choice has been a leading reviewer of children's media for decades and runs the Sandbox Summit, a project that explores the impact of technology on children. www.parents-choice.org.
