The GRAMMY Foundation Grants Program announced today that nearly $600,000 will be distributed to 19 recipients in 2005. This year, funds will be given to preserve recordings of cultural events such as the first 10 years of the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as collections at the Library of Congress, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Television and Radio, and numerous colleges and universities. Research projects include studying a possible link between music studies and reading skills in learning-disabled second graders and locating brain activity in order to better understand how training in music changes the way the brain works.

"These important grants represent some of our most vital missions," said Neil Portnow, President of the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy. "Each year we strive to reach out to the archiving and preservation community, whether it is a large institution or a private collection of rare and culturally significant recordings that would otherwise be lost. The grants given to research lead us further down the road of defining the importance of music in education and its ability to enhance various therapies, as well as to manage the occupational challenges of music professionals."

The GRAMMY Foundation Grants Program, with funding provided by The Recording Academy, works to administer grants each year to organizations and individuals to support the efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of the Americas for future generations, as well as research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition. Recipients are determined based on criteria such as merit, uniqueness of project and the ability to accomplish intended goals. The deadline each year for submitting grant applications is Oct. 1. Applications will be available at www.grammyfoundation/grants after May 1.