Thursday, June 20, 2013

RESTON, VA. (June 18, 2013) – The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has named country artist Sarah Darling as a recipient of its "Stand for Music" Award, in recognition of her dedication to and support of music education.

The award will be presented to Ms. Darling on Saturday, June 29, 2013, by NAfME President and Board Chair Nancy Ditmer, as part of the association's annual National Leadership event.

"Sarah epitomizes the type of artist who truly understands the importance of music education," said NAfME's Butera. "Her formal music training started at a young age while growing up in Mitchellville, Iowa, and her dedication to the craft of songwriting in particular has brought her significant recognition in the country music industry and beyond. NAfME is pleased to present Sarah with our "Stand for Music" award for 2013. Our members – America's music teachers – greatly appreciate her assistance in raising awareness among our elected leaders about how music education orchestrates success, both in school and beyond."

While in Washington, D.C. to receive the award, Ms. Darling will meet with legislative representatives and staff members from Tennessee and her home state of Iowa to discuss the importance of preserving music education in public schools nationwide. She will also perform later for NAfME state affiliate leaders at an acoustic concert.

Since debuting at the Grand Old Opry® in 2011, Ms. Darling has performed there nearly 35 times. Her last three music videos have all reached the number one position on the CMT charts. Her 2011 video for the single, "Something To Do With Your Hands" hit No. 1 on CMT.com, as did her cover of the Beatles' classic ""Blackbird,"" which spent five consecutive weeks at the top spot on CMT Pure. Most recently, ""Home To Me"" topped GAC's Top 20 Countdown and CMT Pure, and has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.

Sarah is currently celebrating the release of her brand-new summertime single, "Little Umbrellas," that's now available on iTunes. Got Country calls it "a catchy, summertime anthem," and Sirius XM's John Marks calls it "Her strongest single release to-date." To download, click here.

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact Amanda French at amanda@marqueepr.com or (404) 907-1174 or Nelson Duffle, NAfME at NelsonD@nafme.org or (800) 336-3768.



The National Association for Music Education is among the world's largest arts education organizations and is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century.



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