MIPI supports Rock The Schools 07 – an education in rock and roll

14 June 2007

The Rock the Schools Tour kicks off today in Sydney with the support of Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI). The Tour is an exciting educational initiative that entertains and inspires high school students throughout Australia via high intensity live rock concerts at schools. It features Australian bands Operator Please, Oh Mercy and the Skybombers performing in 70 schools, to over 50,000 students throughout Australia.

The live band performances in the Tour are followed by an educational workshop covering topics of interest to students; including writing and creating music, managing the music business, and an overview on technical career paths within the industry. Through these workshops and an educational CD-ROM, high school students are asked:

Who Cares About Illegal Downloading?

1. Your favourite artists who don’t get a cent for all their hard work.
2. Up and coming artists who can’t get a gig because less money in the industry means less money to find and nurture new Australian talent.
3. The thousands of Australians involved in the music industry whose jobs are on the line – sound engineers, graphic designers, technicians, CD-plant workers, warehousemen and music retailers.

Students are encouraged to understand that stealing music is the same as stealing anything else. It’s illegal and the consequences are real, for artists, songwriters, and for the future of music.

MIPI continues to recognize that teaching youth about the music industry is integral to reducing piracy in Australia. As part of its ongoing strategy to combat music piracy in Australia, MIPI engages in a number of educational programs by partnering with programs like Rock the Schools to ensure that students, music users and the wider community are aware of the impact of music piracy and the need to support legitimate music products.