Jerrod Niemann unveils Free The Music USA

Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville hitmaker Jerrod Niemann has unveiled his new nonprofit charity, Free The Music USA (FTMUSA). The charity will be dedicated to collecting used instruments and giving them to children in need. Born out of Niemann’s deeply rooted belief that every child deserves the opportunity to explore music within themselves, Niemann set out to help place instruments in the hands of children who could not otherwise afford them. FTMUSA will also make spontaneous and varied donations to music based charities throughout the year. FTMUSA is partnering with Songs for Sound, a Nashville-based charity dedicated to assisting the profoundly deaf through awareness and providing resources for cochlear implants and rehabilitation. Songs for Sound and FTMUSA have partnered with the Academy of Country Music to give three recent recipients of cochlear implants a trip to the 2014 ACM Awards in Las Vegas to meet Niemann and hear him perform at the 2nd Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival on April 5 at The LINQ. Newly appointed FTMUSA board member Shannon Shryne has said: “Jerrod’s passion for helping people is just as strong as his passion for creating great music. Free the Music USA will harness that philanthropic energy and truly make a difference in so many ways. The possibilities are extraordinary and we’re excited to get started!”