---

Ford Focus to Help Drive Educational, Cultural Programs for GRAMMYs

22 February 2000

Ford Focus to Help Drive Educational, Cultural Programs for GRAMMYs With Major Corporate Sponsorship of the Recording Academy Non-Profit Programs

                   GRAMMY in the Schools Career Day Program
          To Speed Up With Multi-Level Involvement of New Ford Model

    SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 22 -- Ford Motor Company has
signed a comprehensive three-year sponsorship package with The Recording
Academy(R) which includes funding for their educational and cultural programs,
including the expansion of GRAMMY in the Schools Career Day, for the
non-profit GRAMMY(R) Foundation.  The automobile giant has tied the
introduction of its new Ford "Focus" to the sponsorship pact.
    The national sponsorship program will kick-off this week in conjunction
with the 42nd GRAMMY Awards on February 23 in Los Angeles.  GRAMMY in the
Schools Career Day, the innovative program the GRAMMY Foundation brings to
schools nationally, will be hosting several events in Southern California
schools, and will be one of the first programs to benefit from the Ford Motor
Company sponsorship.  The GRAMMY Awards, featuring the top talent in the music
industry, will be televised on CBS-TV on February 23.
    "Ford's commitment to helping advance arts and music education in our
nation's schools fits perfectly with the Academy's year round mission," said
Michael Greene, President/CEO of the Recording Academy.  "The Academy is
pleased to have Ford as a partner in this endeavor."
    The GRAMMY in the Schools Career Day program is in its 13th year.  The
multi-city program began on January 25th in Atlanta, and has featured leading
music industry figures participating in forums on university campuses in
cities including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Nashville, Miami, New York, New
Orleans and Los Angeles.
    "This three-year grant will enable the Foundation to create comprehensive
learning opportunities for thousands of additional students," said Eugene
Maillard, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Foundation.  "We are grateful for
Ford's commitment to our programs and to our educational initiatives," he
adds.
    The sponsorship of GRAMMY in the Schools Career Day will be formally
announced on February 22nd at the University of Southern California's Thornton
School of Music.  The Recording Academy's Michael Greene will moderate some of
the panels, which will include such diverse panelists as performers Esa-Pekka
Salonen, Meredith Brooks and Desmond Child; engineers Leslie Ann Jones, Joe
Chiccarelli, Ed Cherney and Al Schmitt; executives Neil Portnow, Jose Behar,
Tony Brown, producers Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam, Phil Ramone, managers Bill
Leopold, Arthur Spivak, Ron Stone, Larry Livingston and attorney Peter Lopez.
    Since its launch in 1986, GRAMMY in the Schools Career Day participants
have included Chuck D, LL Cool J, Brenda Russell, Dave Koz, Carlos Santana,
Monica, All-4-One, Erykah Badu, Boyz II Men, Deana Carter, Bo Diddley, David
Foster, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, Sammy Hagar, the Hooters, Kenny Lattimore,
G. Love, Peggy and Patsy Lynn, Peter Nero, Greg Phillinganes, Linda Ronstadt,
Jon Secada, Usher, Diane Warren and Trisha Yearwood.
    The GRAMMY Foundation (formerly the NARAS Foundation) is a nonprofit arm
of the Recording Academy dedicated to advancing music and arts-based education
across the country and ensuring access to America's rich cultural legacy.  An
arc of education and preservation programs and services strive to cultivate
understanding, appreciation and advancement of the arts for all ages, from
infants to the elderly.  In partnership with the Recording Academy and its
chapters and branches throughout the country, the GRAMMY Foundation engages in
a variety of cultural, professional and educational initiatives aiming to
strengthen our education system and our culture-at-large.