Country singer-songwriter Jerrod Niemann and Logan’s Roadhouse teamed up on Friday, November 20 to present $5,000 to Fort Smith Kimmons’ Junior High School Band in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The donation comes from Niemann’s Free the Music USA, a non-profit founded by the singer to support music education, as well as Logan’s Roadhouse’s recently launched music grant program.

This event kicks off the first of many donations that will be made across the country to support qualifying music education programs K-12. For more details go to Logansroadhouse.com/MusicInSchools.

Niemann and Logan’s Roadhouse CEO Sam Borgese made the presentation via live video feed, answering questions from students and speaking to the importance of supporting music education. Niemann offered encouragement to the young musicians, saying “You’ll find music that speaks to you and inspires you, and what you’ll learn at the very end of the day is that all your heroes merged into one is you, and that’s your voice. Don’t be afraid to find your own voice!”

“To me personally, it means everything. This is a major program for us and we are extremely excited about it and our relationship with Jerrod,” shares Borgese. “Jerrod and I share a common belief that if we give back what we receive from music to students, the young artists who emerge will become the artists we’re listening to in the future, and in that sense, music lives forever.”

Earlier this year, Niemann was named the official spokesperson and mentor for Logan’s Roadhouse/ASCAP’s Music City Live! Tour, a unique, national country music tour to promote talented, unsigned songwriter-artists. Niemann will also serve as a mentor to these emerging acts, who will be showcased at specially selected Logan’s Roadhouse locations throughout the country, beginning in Summer 2016.