MUMBAI: News18.com, the pure-play digital news media site, has ideated a unique one month campaign 'Music for a Cause' which has started on 6 February for lesser privileged kids with an inclination towards music. The campaign aims at motivating kids to live their passion for music by gifting them musical instruments. To magnify the impact of the campaign, News18.com is connecting with celebrity musicians and encouraging them to gift their pre owned musical instruments, in addition to urging artists to come forward to lend their support for the noble cause. Acclaimed musicians Ehsaan Noorani, Vishal Dadlani, Mohit Chauhan, Subir Malik (Parikrama Band) and The Other People Band have pledged their support by wilfully agreeing to donate their musical instruments, taking the first step towards the cause.

Taking it a notch higher, News18.com has also joined hands with Music Basti, a well known Delhi based NGO for their ReSound concert, which is slated to take place on 26 February in Delhi. The concert aims at creating opportunities for kids at the NGO, by providing them a platform to showcase their talent as well as to overcome their fears and fulfill their dreams. Blending well with the concert, News18.com’s ‘Music for a Cause’ campaign will be culminated by giving away the autographed musical instruments to the NGO kids at the end of the concert. The activity is further supported by a crowd-funding platform BitGiving, which will be responsible for raising additional funds for the campaign, adding to the welfare of the kids.

Speaking about the campaign, Network18 Digital CEO Manish Maheshwari said, “We are proud to conceptualize a campaign that inspires kids, who are otherwise deprived of opportunities, to take up music as a possible career option if they are really passionate about it. With an aim to amplify the campaign, we are also building content to promote the initiative across various platforms, and would like to sincerely thank the wonderful musicians and artists for their contribution and pledging their support for a noble cause.”

Speaking on lending his support, musician and guitarist Ehsaan Noorani said, “For me, music acts as an empowering tool, as well as a carrier of the piece. I believe everyone should give the gift of music to those who cannot afford it. I am giving away two of my guitars to the kids not only to motivate them but to support the ‘music for a cause’ campaign. It does not matter if you are a good musician or bad, you have to have a guitar with you as it has the magic to keep you calm.”

On extending his support, musician Vishal Dadlani said, “I have had fervour for music since childhood but never really got the opportunity to take it up as a main stream subject in school. For the first time, I ended up taking up music when I was 19. This is one of the main reasons I want to support the cause and motivate kids to do what they like. I am donating a guitar which has always proved to be my lucky charm. My musical career started with a guitar, which was gifted by a very close friend of my father and that was the turning point of my life. I hope this guitar does the same magic for you.”

With a view to promoting it further across various social media platforms, the campaign will be supported by videos of kids, trainers, and musicians shot during the course of the entire campaign, as well as on the day of the concert.