Some of the most talented people in the music industry don’t sing like a bird or play an instrument brilliantly, but they can pen songs that get you on your feet or move you to tears. No matter how much talent a songwriter has, it’s tough to get discovered in today’s music industry. CASIO AMERICA, INC. and Billboard Magazine are partnering to search for the world’s most aspiring songwriters in the 15th Annual Billboard World Song Contest (BBSC).

As the longest running song contest in history, the Billboard World Song Contest grants the opportunity of a lifetime to winners by including them on the Annual Billboard Song Contest (BBSC) Winners’ CD…

Recognizing the benefits of music education and restoring music education to public schools, the Pittsburgh Keyboard Project has distributed more than 400 Yamaha keyboards to aid music programs at needy schools in the Pittsburgh area since 2001. The program recently expanded to include schools in suburban Wilkinsburg, Pa., a district that ended specialized music instruction at its elementary schools in 1982.

The project is administered by Carnegie Mellon University and the Grable Foundation, founded by Minnie K. Grable, widow of the longtime director of Rubbermaid, Inc. The foundation funds educational programs throughout the Pittsburgh region…

Korg announces the Pa1XPro Elite, an updated version of its Pa1XPro Professional arranger keyboard. Priced like its predecessor but offering enhanced features, the new Elite version delivers two of the most popular options pre-installed, the CDRW1x8 CD drive and the EXB-MP3, an MP3 encoder that allows users to capture their output (playing and singing) and save it as an MP3 file…

Providing unparalleled values, the PSR-E313 and the PSR-E213 portable keyboards, introduced at Winter NAMM 2007, offer a range of features and sound quality heretofore found only on models at much higher prices.

The PSR-E313 includes Flash ROM, which allows users to download and transfer songs into the keyboard for listening and learning. It also has 61 full-size keys with touch response, two-track sequencer, backlit LCD screen and a Music Database with over 200 preset records that make setting up the keyboard a breeze…

Yamaha has long supported group teaching and music education, so it's no surprise that the new LC2 Plus Music Lab represents a breakthrough in educational and digital technology by offering several premium enhancements. New and exclusive features on the model, which will debut at Winter NAMM 2007, include Yamaha CM500 headset microphones, MIDI Illustrator software and Music Lab Management software for instructing and controlling up to forty eight students with point and click ease-of-use…

Korg announces the Pa800, a new Arranger keyboard based on an entirely new engine offering sophisticated sound and effects engines, TC-Helicon based vocal effects, real-time performance features and stereo two-way speaker system in a sleek, professional package.

The Pa800 features 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch plus Korg’s RX (Real eXperience) Technology for a natural sound. Its intuitive layout offers easy access to up to 960 detailed and authentic music Styles created by musicians worldwide. An additional 416 user Style locations are available. Each Style offers a drum part, percussion part, bass part, and up to five additional musical parts…

Following the recent launch of its 61- and 76-key TR Music Workstations, Korg announces the addition of an 88-key model with authentic weighted action. The TR Music Workstation Series delivers excellent value in a streamlined, cost-effective package, offering a wide variety of high-quality sounds, classic Korg user-friendliness and up-to-date storage and computer connectivity.

The TR features Korg’s HI (Hyper Integrated) synthesis technology — the synthesis system that has made the acclaimed TRITON family a worldwide standard…