$13 million Awarded by The New York State Music Fund to 153 Nonprofit
Contemporary Music Appreciation Programs
NEW YORK, July 12 /PRNewswire/ — Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
today announced the first 153 grantees of the New York State Music Fund
(“the Fund”), a groundbreaking grant program created by the Office of the
New York State Attorney General to make contemporary music of all genres
more available and accessible to diverse audiences and communities within
New York State. Grants totaling $13 million were awarded to nonprofit
groups from Oswego to Brooklyn for programs ranging from hip-hop to new
classical music, and jazz to folk music from around the world. The Fund
grew out of settlements with major recording companies investigated for
violating state and federal laws prohibiting “pay for play” (also called
“payola”).
“This first round of grants, in its geographic breadth and diversity of exciting programs, represents a significant step in achieving the Fund’s goals to enable people all across the state to experience the joy of music, and especially to learn about new forms of music,” said Jessica Chao, vice president of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the nonprofit organization that developed and manages the grant program.
“The enthusiastic response we
received from groups of many sizes and types demonstrates the deep interest in music by people of all ages and backgrounds, and the related needs that remain unmet in many communities. We’re pleased to be part of the solution.”
The New York State Music Fund published guidelines and criteria and
accepted grant applications in a number of categories, including music
education and public performances of music by artists working in hip-hop,
reggae, fusion, jazz, new classical and folk music of all cultures.
Applications related to recording, distribution, or broadcast through
traditional and new media were also eligible. Special emphasis was placed
on reaching underserved populations and broadening awareness of artists,
genres or styles with limited access to commercial broadcast or other mass distribution vehicles. The Fund received a total of 304 applications for its first cycle.
Awards to the 153 grantees represent every region of New York State and range from $15,000 to $750,000. Diverse forms of popular or experimental music, including hip-hop, indie rock, fusion and reggae account for about
37 percent of grants and more than 13 percent celebrate a spectrum of jazz; 30 percent include new classical music. The state’s ethnic or racial
minority communities are served by 45 percent of the programs, while 47
percent target low-income communities. The Fund’s size and emphasis on
music of our time set it apart from other arts grant programs.
An Advisory Panel comprised of recognized leaders from a cross-section
of the music world evaluated and recommended the applications. The panel
included Karen Park Canning, ethnomusicologist and musician; Joseph Dalton,
arts reporter and critic; Willie L. Hill, Jr., musician, educator and
director of the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst; Murray Horwitz, radio commentator, songwriter and director of the
American Film Institute’s Silver Theater and Cultural Center; James Jordan,
music publisher and former director of the New York State Council on the
Arts’ music program; Mike Ross, director of the Krannert Center for the
Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; Mildred Ruiz, singer, actress and playwright; Ray Vega, jazz trumpeter and lecturer at the music conservatory at SUNY-Purchase; and Su Zheng, ethnomusicologist and associate professor of music at Wesleyan University.
Grantees include:
* City Parks Foundation (New York City) to expand free concerts to low-
income neighborhoods in all five boroughs of New York City showcasing
hip-hop, reggae, soul, funk, blues, Latin American, and jazz music –
$230,000
* Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center (Buffalo) for increased programming
of experimental and new music to be presented in The Church, its new
space featuring concerts, residencies, new works and recordings –
$150,000
* Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture (Bronx) for Bomplenazo 2006: A
Biennial of Afro-Puerto-Rican Culture and the Mott Haven Latin Jazz
Connection, two festivals celebrating the African and Latin musical
roots of the South Bronx – $90,000
* Mama Foundation for the Arts for Gospel for Teens (Harlem), a
community-based music education program stressing artistic discipline
and commitment by training aspiring teens in this uniquely American
musical form – $30,000.
* North Country Public Radio (Adirondack Region) for “UpNorth Music,” a
collaborative project with regional arts councils to record, archive,
broadcast, and podcast all genres of music by artists living and
working in New York’s North Country – $330,000
* Syracuse Jazz Fest, which annually features legendary artists such as
David Fathead Newman, Dr. John, Ahmad Jamal, Diana Krall, Richie
Havens, Jimmy Heath, Aaron Neville and the Ramsey Lewis Trio, among
others – $39,000
A full list of grantees and information about the second cycle of
applications, which are due by September 12 and will be announced in late
December, can be found at http://www.rockpa.org/music.
About Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (http://www.rockpa.org) is an independent,
nonprofit service that develops and manages effective giving programs
throughout the world. In 2005 Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors advised on and managed more than $130 million in giving to more than 30 countries.
Headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco and Los
Angeles, it traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage philanthropy “as if it were a business.” He set the style of family giving by specifying that grants would be used “for the well- being of people throughout the world.” Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors also includes The Philanthropic Collaborative, a special donor-advised fund for international giving and special projects.
Contact:
Jennifer Robinson, gabbegroup
212-220-4444
jenn.robinson@gabbe.com
