Country Music News

November 19th - 20th, 2008

Eric Durrance encourages Americans to "Turn It Off"

Eric Durrance (Wind-up Records) has announced his personal initiative to encourage all Americans to "Turn It Off" in support of a stronger community of friends and family, and our entire country during National Family Week.

Next week people throughout the United States will celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday. In addition to the "Turkey Day" festivities, next week (November 23-29, 2008) has been established as National Family Week (as originally proclaimed by President George W. Bush on November 16, 2007.

In support of the idea behind restoring strong families, personal and spiritual communications, and interpersonal relations, recording artist Eric Durrance would like to further establish one single, official date wherein all Americans "Turn It Off."

"This is a thought that I came up with last week while talking to radio programmers and DJ's during CMA week radio remote interviews," Durrance introduced. "The more I talked with them, the more I thought 'how wonderful would it be, just to turn everything off--all those things that are a distraction or an interruption from valuable, quality time that could be spent with those you love?'"

Eric Durrance has begun the campaign to initiate TURN IT OFF DAY. For one day only, Durrance is encouraging families to turn off the televisions, iPod, cell phones and computers on Saturday, November 29, 2008 (and every Saturday following the Thanksgiving Holiday) in honor and celebration of the old-fashioned family lifestyle.

"Instead of huddling around the television or sitting in front of a computer-entranced by the screen-or spending countless minutes on cell phones, talking or texting, what if we sat on the front porch with family, or in front of the fireplace in the dark visiting with friends, or hand-wrote a love note to a companion, or played a board game with a group of people?

We've gotten so far away from being a social community, if we all took the time to physically communicate and spend time with one another, with heart, care and concentration, and without interruption, for just one day, think of what this would mean for not only the health and growth of our families, but the entire country. I'm in hopes that this will catch on with families, friends, area and community leaders, and policy makers, and we all will consider this as an opportunity just 'engage' with one another," Durrance added