# School of Jazz and Contemporary Music

The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music is a private music school of The New School in New York City. It is located on West 13th Street in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village. It was once known as The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

## History

The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music was founded by David Levy, a former dean of Parsons School of Design, saxophonist Arnie Lawrence, and Paul Weinstein, the first chairperson of the program in 1986, as the Jazz & Contemporary Music Program. The school holds the philosophy that artists should be mentors, thus many teachers are working professionals.

## Academics

The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in jazz and contemporary music with concentrations in vocal and instrumental performance.
The core curriculum includes courses in performance, improvisation, composition, music history, and liberal arts. In addition, students can select or audition for a wide range of elective courses and narrow their focus as they advance toward graduation.
Students' proficiency on their instruments is evaluated at the start of school. Students who do not place out of proficiency requirements are assigned ten lessons with an instructor deemed appropriate to their needs. Students who place out of proficiency requirements are assigned nine lessons per semester with one or two instructors chosen in consultation with an advisor.

## Faculty

All faculty are working musicians in New York City.

## Facilities

The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music is located at 55 West 13th Street. The school's 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m$^2$) facility was designed to help young artists realize their goal of becoming successful music professionals. The facility offers administrative, classroom, practice, and rehearsal space, all constructed to the highest standards with attention to acoustics, soundproofing, and aesthetics. All classrooms are equipped with Yamaha grand pianos, drum kits, amplifiers, vocal PA systems, and full component stereo systems. Specialized instrumental practice and teaching rooms, listening library, and piano/MIDI labs are offered.
Performance and recording needs are served in an intimate and beautiful performance space seating 120, with full capacity for professional sound, lighting, and recording. A second studio is available for additional recording and engineering. Both studios are connected to the university's server and Internet sites, allowing for posted archival recordings and live streaming performance. Additional university performance facilities within a two-block radius of the Greenwich Village campus include a 170-seat performance auditorium and an excellent acoustically balanced concert hall with an audience capacity of 500.

## Beacons in Jazz awards

Beginning in 1986, the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music has annually recognized jazz musicians and others who have "significantly contributed to the evolution of American music culture" with the Beacons in Jazz award. Recipients have included: Ruth Brown, Hank Jones, Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Aretha Franklin, Ahmet Ertegun, Dizzy Gillespie, Chico Hamilton, Percy Heath, Milt Hinton, Johnnie Johnson, Jackie McLean, James Moody, Max Roach, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, George and Joyce Wein, Paul Weinstein and Phil Woods.