World's Largest Concert

RESTON, VA (February 23, 2004) - MENC: The National Association for Music Education announced that the 20th annual World's Largest Concert (WLC), to be broadcast Thursday, March 11, 2004 from 1:00 to 1:30 P.M. EST, will be hosted by Sesame Street's Bob McGrath and his loveable, furry friend Zoe. The WLC will be broadcast internationally to an estimated 175 countries on PBS stations and the American Forces Television Network to millions of schoolchildren and music lovers around the world.

The WLC, created by MENC: The National Association for Music Education to focus attention on music in our nation's schools, is broadcast to an estimated 6 million actively participating students, teachers, and community members around the world. It is a highlight of the nationally celebrated Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM), sponsored annually by MENC.

Bob McGrath, one of the original hosts and most popular faces on the long-running television show Sesame Street, originally hosted the WLC in 1995. In addition to his role as music teacher on Sesame Street, McGrath is a successful author, recording artist and concert performer. He was inducted into the 2002 Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and is the recipient of the American Eagle Award by the National Music Council. "Zoe and I are honored to host the anniversary show for the 2004 World's Largest Concert," said Bob. " We thought that it's about as close as you can come to having millions of kids all around the world, holding hands and singing together. Wouldn't if be great if we could get all the 'big people' to do the same thing?"

Joining McGrath as host for the WLC is his friend from Sesame Street, Zoe, the adorable 3-year old ballerina Muppet with the orange fur. "This is the best concert I've ever been to in my whole life!"said Zoe. "It's even better than the Beatles!"

The World's Largest Concert has been the highlight of MIOSM since 1985, the same year the celebration was extended to last the entire month of March. This coming year marks the 20th anniversary of the WLC, and MENC will be presenting a retrospective concert celebrating some of the best musical moments from the past 19 years of shows. This year's WLC program will feature highlights from some of the most popular musical selections performed in the past concerts, and the televised program will include original footage. Some favorite songs from the-more-past, as chosen by MENC members through the "Oldies, But Goodies" Song Survey, include:

• The Star-Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key)


• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah (Words by Ray Gilbert and Music by Allie Wrubel)


• Simple Gifts (Traditional Shaker Song, Verses 2 and 3 by Joyce Merman, Arranged by John Coates, Jr.)


• Get On Board This Train (Traditional Spiritual)


• Land That We Love (Words, Melody and Arrangement by Jill Gallina) Partner Song- America the Beautiful (Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Music by Samuel Ward)


• Fifty States in Rhyme (Words by Phil & Lynne Brower)


• One Song, Many Voices (Music and Lyrics by Markus Williams)


• Don't Let the Music Stop (Words and Music by Eugene Butler)