The Manhattan New Music Project

10-15-07: MUSIC - SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH FOR JAZZ CYCLES AND MNMP RECORDS

MNMP and its brand new record label MNMP Records have been off to a good start with our first release, Paul Nash's Jazz Cycles. We have reached distribution agreements with Cadence North Country to distribute the CD to stores across the U.S. starting October 2nd, while German-based finetunes will provide digital distribution in major and specialized online retail outlets around the world on October 26th. For more information, click here.

So far reviews of the CD have been spectacular and radio is playing excerpts of the record in over 18 states around the country. Here are some of the comments we've had sofar:

"I've been listening to this disc all week ... I think Jazz Cycles is on my best of '07 list." - Michael West, Pop Musicology

"There are no standout performers on this recording for the simple reason they are all equally excellent top-flight musicians. Shane Endsley plays trumpet with a clean tone and fine articulation of phrase, that long-time stalwart guitarist Vic Juris is still not getting the attention he deserves is a mystery to this reviewer and drummer Grisha Alexiev is as tight and thoughtfully responsive a drummer as anyone could hope to have their band. All-in-all this disc, with production help from Julia Reinhart, is as worthy a final testament to Paul Nash as any jazz musician/composer could desire. The playing is always flawlessly executed with just the right amount of nuance to convey emotion and depth of feeling. You may come to the disc to hear the music of Nash, but you’ll listen to it over and over because of the high artistry of the performers. " - Pico, Blogcritics Magazine

"The ensemble work throughout the disc’s fifteen tracks is stunning. In the tradition of Gil Evans and Charles Mingus, Nash’s thoughtfully arranged compositions garner strength from the individual personalities of some of the finest musicians performing in jazz today. The camaraderie for each other and for the spirit of their fallen leader can be heard from the opening theme and variations of “Passaglia” to the immense waves of rhythmic gust on the closing “Epilogue.” The unwavering dedication of the members of MNMP to the legacy of Nash and his incomparable work is heard in bursts of joyous conviction, anguish and urgency. Jazz Cycles, amazingly recorded in a single six-hour session, is an adventure in risk taking. Nash left a bright light shining on the music world. " - John Barron, All About Jazz

Read all the reviews
Find a radio station near you playing Jazz Cycles

10-15-07: COMMUNITY OUTREACH - MNMP JOINS COOK.EAT.DRINK.LIVE OCTOBER 26 & 27 @ PIER 94 NYC

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Brooke Guthrie and Cocoa Lover MNMP will have a booth at this year's COOK.EAT.DRINK.LIVE event to present our work and mission to a broad set of our community. As New Yorkers sample the works of exquisite chefs we will have the opportunity to show how our work in the arts feeds the mind and soul.

The event will be held on October 26 & 27 11AM - 5PM at Pier 94 (West 54th Street & 12th Avenue). Subway: C,E to 50th Street.

Read more and get tickets to the event.

Read more about our generous sponsor: Cocoa Lover

10-15-07: EDUCATION - MNMP LAUNCHES HARLEM COMMUNITY ROOTS PROJECT

What will happen to more then 400 students who have been forgotten? That was the initial question MNMP was faced with just a few short months ago. The Department of Education announced that H.S. 695 Urban Peace Academy, serving minority and immigrant children from low income families, is one of five failing schools that will be closed after it graduates the last of its current students in 2010. It will not accept any new 9th graders for the fall of 2007. This school had lost all funding, essentially leaving these kids behind, forgotten and without the education needed for a bright and productive future.

We realized this wasn’t just about 400 students it was just as much about there families, their community. How will these youth impact this community if they feel that it has turned its back on them?

MNMP will create a pilot program at HS 695 and utilize the various talents of othercommunity organizations such as InCollaboration, National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Harlem Hip Hop Tours and Columbia University to teach these students the creative and business sides of staging a musical theater production in a collaboration called Harlem Community Roots Project.

10-15-07: EDUCATION - NEW SCHOOLS, NEW PROGRAMS, NEW TEACHING ARTISTS

The school year is off to a great start at MNMP! We welcome new schools such as IS 61Q, PS 131K, Harlem Day Charter School, and PS 135K and are excited to return to schools such as PS 24K, PS 191Q, and PS 315K among others. MNMP is looking forward to serving over 50 schools this year by providing programs ranging from ethnic dances from around the world to creating original musical theatre to instrumental ensembles. Furthermore, we would like to thank special guest, Michael Messer, from the Dirty Sock Funtime Band for helping us out with our kickoff assembly at PS 191Q! Keep checking back for details of what is happening in all of our classrooms!

We have also broadened and updated our program palette from which we customize educational solution for each of our schools. Read our updated residency catalogue.

To meet the increased demand for our classroom and professional development programs, we have refocused our artist roster and hired additional teaching artists. Find a description of all our wonderful TA's on our roster page.

07-15-07: MUSIC - JAZZ CYCLES by Paul Nash to be released Oct 2nd, CD Release Party Oct 17

The last recording by MNMP's late founder Paul Nash is being commercially released October 2nd. All proceeds from CD sales benefit MNMP to continue and promote his work. Pre-orders are already accepted at MNMP's website:

Click here to preorder

To celebrate the release, we will hold a CD release party:

CD Release Party Oct 17th
8 & 10PM
Iridium Jazz Club
1650 Broadway (@ West 51st Street)
New York NY
$25
Call 212-582-2121 for tickets

Performers:
Shane Endsley - trumpet
Bruce Williamson - soprano & alto sax
Tim Ries - tenor sax
Jim Ridl - piano
Vic Juris - guitar
Jeff Carney - bass
Grisha Alexiev - drums

07-15-07: MUSIC - Jazz for Peace Concert to Benefit MNMP

Rick DellaRetta's Jazz for Peace organization is holding a concert to raise funds for MNMP's artistic and educational work.

Saturday December 1st 2007, 6:30 PM

at a convenient location in the
Manhattan NYC area

Benefit Concert Series
Discount Ticket Price $25.00

(First respondents to receive discount. Reg. Price $35.00)
Please contact Denise at 212-977-1070 for advance tickets.

About Jazz for Peace:

Rick DellaRatta and Jazz for Peace performed at the United Nations in New York on September 25, 2002. He led a band consisting of Israeli, Middle Eastern, European, Asian and American musicians in concert for an international audience in what is now considered one of the most significant cultural events of our time! This U.N. Concert has led to a benefit concert series that has gone on to raise funds, publicity and awareness for over 400 non-profit organizations as well as an Educational Program to bring jazz back into the schools and donate musical instruments to underprivileged children.

Over the past year Jazz for Peace has garnered support and praise from distinguished Americans such as Senator John McCain, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, activist Noam Chomsky, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and many more along with music lovers and humanitarians worldwide of all ages and nationalities!

07-17-07: MUSIC - MNMP Concerts now available as podcasts

Starting with our performance of June 20th 2007 and with a special thank you to our new board member Franz Hackl, we will be posting live recordings of our concert events on our website for your continued listening enjoyment.

Go here to listen to KINDRED SPIRITS - AN EVENING OF EXPERIMENTAL CHAMBER JAZZ

Performers:
Ben Kono - oboe, flute, tenor sax
Bruce Williamson - clarinet, alto sax
Lisa Karrer - voice
David Taylor - bass trombone
Tomas Ulrich - cello
Bill Ruyle - percussions, vibes, hammer dulcimer, drums

In 2007 MNMP's concerts are made possible in part by public funding received from
- New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
- NYCulture (NYC Department for Cultural Affairs)

07-15-07: PERSONNEL - MNMP HIRES NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Denise Ambrusko, MNMP's new Director of Development, has a solid background in special events, corporate fundraising and special events. Denise started her development career four years ago with Music is Art. During her time there she coordinated production of the yearly Music is Art Festival with an annual attendance of 100,000 people, featuring over 600 performers and vendors. In that time Denise also researched and assisted in the writing of various grants with nets of $300,000, planned and coordinated special events raising nets between $2,500-$40,000 and wrote corporate sponsorship proposals raising nets of $100,000.

Prior to Music is Art, Denise earned her degree in Anthropology from the University at Buffalo. Before finding her talent in fundraising and development Denise was an Adjunct Professor in the Social Science Department at Niagara Community College.

07-15-07: BOARD OF DIRECTORS - MNMP EXPANDS ITS BOARD WITH THREE NEW MEMBERS

To further broaden our reach into diverse corners of our community, MNMP has added three new members to its board of directors:

FRANZ HACKL (COMPOSER, PERFORMER): Born in the heart of the Alps in Tyrol, Austria, Franz Hackl learned trumpet playing and the profession of brass instrument making from his father. At age eleven, Franz became a trumpet soloist with several brass bands and started to tour internationally. He is an alumnus of the Conservatory of the City of Vienna, and received a M.S degree from The Manhattan School of Music (studied with Lew Soloff). After frequent collaborations with leading international artists in the jazz field, he focused more and more on composition and leading his own projects. Franz’s stylistic versatility grew to include works for full orchestra, diverse chamber groups, choral works and multi-media events. Among them original music for: “Year of the Mountains” launch event UN New York, U-Held I & II (renderings of Richard Strauss’s Heldenleben), Opening of the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. Numerous commissions from festivals like: Tiroler Festpiele Erl, Klangspuren Festival, Festival der Regionen, Europäisches Forum Alpbach. In his co-owned postproduction studio in New York, he creates, with partner John Davis, music for film and advertising. Since 1993 he also leads his own festival and academy named “Outreach” in Schwarz in Tirol. B3+ further pushes the envelope for Franz. He is very happy to be part of this trio and to be inspired by the masters John Clark on French horn and Dave Taylor on bass trombone. Discovering what colors, sounds, shapes, musical expressions and level of communication is possible never felt so good.

KAREN JOHNSON (LAWYER, VISUAL ARTIST) started her education at Germain School of Photography in New York City. She received her BA Magna Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Purchase with a major in Liberal Arts and her Judicial Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. Her focus in law school was on Property Law - copyright to land use regulation. While attending UCLA School of Law she was the Business Editor for the UCLA Entertainment Law Review. Karen was one of the law students picked to serve a summer legal clerkship with the U.S. Attorney's Office - Las Vegas, Nevada where she received permission form the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Judges of the Las Vegas Federal Courts to try cases. She actively participated on cases concerning Property and Environmental Land Issues affecting Federal Land and prosecution of gang members on drug trafficking. She worked closely with agents in the FBI, DEA, ATF and Las Vegas Metro Police. She received from the U.S. Attorney for Las Vegas a commendation for Dedication and Hard Work.Karen has served as a member of the Board of Directors - State University of New York – Purchase Alumni Association and on the Admissions Committee for UCLA School of Law. She currently sits on the Town of North Castle Housing Board. Karen is a member of the Luxury Marketing Council and Legal Marketing Association. Prior to becoming an attorney Karen worked in corporate design and advertising. Upon graduation from law school she acted as a Supervising Attorney Consultant for Fraudulent Sales Practices, Assistant Vice President for Business Development for Cybersettle, an online mediation company, and is currently Director of Corporate Sponsorship for the Practising Law Institute. Karen is a licensed attorney in the State of New York. She has trained in classical ballet and jazz dance, studied piano, guitar and flute and the equestrian art of Dressage.

RUTH MUELLER-MAERKI (EDUCATOR, COMPOSER): A high-school and elementary grades teacher for many years, Ruth has since branched out into the study of literary and musical arts, receiving her PhD in Musical Arts and Composition from the Manhattan School of Music, and working at Harvard’s Kress Library for rare books. After her retirement Ruth has taken on several volunteer positions around New York City, working in the lay governing body of the Congregation of St. Saviour, and chief fundraiser for the Crafts Fair for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

MNMP PRESENTS:

KINDRED SPIRITS
an evening of experimental chamber jazz

June 20th 8PM @ Christ & St. Stephen's Church
$15 at the door

We look forward to bring you Kindred Spirits - an evening of experimental chamber jazz. The work of an eclectic group of composers whose efforts left a profound mark on the music of the 20th century, united by their individual efforts to experiment and evolve their writing beyond the works of their contemporaries is performed by a group of performers to transcend established genres, push the boundaries of their instruments and look outside the traditional realm for inspiration of their creative work.

The concert will be held on:

June 20th - 8:00pm
Tickets $15 at the door
Christ & St. Stephen's Church
122 West 69th Street (between Columbus Ave & Broadway)

for any questions contact 212-977-1070

Performers:
Dave Taylor - bass trombone
Bruce Williamson - saxes, flutes, clarinet
Ben Kono - oboe, saxes, flute
Tomas Ulrich - cello
Bill Ruyle - vibes, marimba, percussion
Lisa Karrer - vocals, spoken word

Featured Composers:
Paul Nash
Art Lande
Lisa Karrer
Josef Matthias Hauer
Thelonious Monk
Carla Bley

MNMP's concerts are made possible in part by public funding received from

- New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
- NYCulture (Department of Cultural Affairs)

05-15-07: MUSIC - MNMP Files Patent for Music Cre8tor

After several year's research, MNMP has filed a patent application for its interactive music composition device, the Music Cre8tor. Using motion sensors attached to any body parts to measure a performers movement, even the slightest motion can trigger rich, user-defined musical experiences, allowing anyone to create their own music, whether they master a traditional instrument or not.

Based on an idea by our late founder, Paul Nash, the Music Cre8tor was originally designed for physically challenged students involved in our Creative Music Educators Program. However, the present instrument, while still very much suitable for special needs populations, is entertaining and engaging for users of all ages and all skill levels.

Over the summer, MNMP will finalize the Hardware composition for consumer versions of the Music Cre8tor and start developing a curriculum to go along with every unit that will be sold. The curriculum is designed for educators, therapists and parents to use the Music Cre8tor as a tool to explore musical composition.

For more information on the Music Cre8tor, go to our website.

The Music Cre8tor was developed by MNMP in collaboration with HarvestWorks, Jane Rigler, and Zack Seldess. Original funding for the development stage was provided by Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

05-15-07: SPRING CAMPAIGN - MNMP now on GIVELINE for your Mothers Day Shopping

MNMP has joined the GIVELINE Network, where you can shop for everything from music to books, while donating parts of your expenditures to MNMP. Ideal for your Mothers Day Shopping.

Click HERE to visit the site and select MNMP as your beneficiary.

04-15-07: MUSIC - MARK YOUR CALENDARS - MNMP Summer Concert Schedule

MNMP to continue its award-winning concert series around NYC's public parks:

Come join us for two more lunch hour presentations of Paul Nash's site specific composition New York Anthems featuring our all-star team of musicians. Past concerts have included performances by Jack Walrath, Jane Ira Bloom, Dave Taylor, Art Baron and many more.

- Thursday May 31 @ 1:00PM in Greeley Square
(West 32nd Street & Broadway)

- Friday June 1 @ 1:00PM in Tompkins Square Park
(East 8th Street & Avenue A)

These performances are made possible in part by public funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)

MNMP presents works from its members:

MNMP is setting up an evening of music from our member artists, mixed with works inspired by our late founder Paul Nash.

- Wednesday June 20 @ 8:00PM at the Christ & St. Stephen's Church
(120 West 69th Street between Broadway & Columbus Aves)

We're still working out the details, but the night will be worth it. So, mark your calendars!

02-15-07: EDUCATION - Arts Curriculum Planning Workshop for School Administrators

MNMP presented its first annual Arts Curriculum Planning Workshop for School Administrators on March 7th at the Producer’s Club in midtown Manhattan. Administrators and teachers from all over the city experienced a variety of music, dance, theatre, and creative writing workshops with some of MNMP’s most experienced teaching artists. Students from PS 315K and Unity High School also participated along side the administrators and teachers so they could see first hand how the arts give students a voice to express themselves and create. Together, students and teachers composed music, learned folk dances, explored theatre improvisation, played percussion instruments from all over the world, created characters and monologues, sang opera, and made beautiful music on computers. Comments from the participants included:

“[The teaching artist] really motivated the students’ enthusiasm.”
“Well done! Bravo to the students who participated.”
“A very informative workshop. Thank you!”

MNMP will be holding another curriculum workshop in the fall. Stay tuned for more information and hope to see you there!

02-15-07: EDUCATION - A Glimpse Into Some of Our Classrooms

PS 24K – Sarah Loveland and Andrew Drury: The 4th and 5th grade band is moving right along in preparation for their debut performance at the 5th grade graduation. Students are also composing music to enhance the scored pieces they are learning and improvising solos over the chorus of the songs. In addition, the 1st graders have learned the fundamentals of playing percussion on buckets and the 4th graders are beginning a school-wide study of recorders. PS 24K is really rockin’!

International High School - Kevin Ray: The after-school drama program has quadrupled in size from the beginning of the year. 22 ELL students wrote an hour-long musical theatre piece and performed it last week. The play incorporated elements of the culture of which they are from. The students should be very proud of themselves.

IS 96K - Sarah Godbehere: 6th and 7th graders are continuing their study of social and ballroom dance. Students are learning dances such as contra dance, tango, fox trot, waltz, salsa, and swing. The classes will perform pieces in each style at the end of the year and even help to add their own choreography.

PS 315K – Alda Reuter and Peter Basil: 5th grade students at this performing arts school are learning folk dances from 5 different regions of Mexico. In addition to learning the dances and the music, students are studying the history and culture of each region and the people who live there. They will perform on April 23rd and we can’t wait!

PS 315K - Sarah Loveland: 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are playing in both beginning and advanced orchestra and learning sectional music to perform at the end of the year. Students are also learning how to improvise and perform pieces of their very own. The advanced orchestra recently performed at our Curriculum Planning Workshop and also demonstrated composition activities they do in class each week. They were phenomenal!

PS 191Q - Matt Bogdanow: Matt has been working all year with the students at PS 191 in songwriting and junk percussion. Kindergarten, first, and second grade students use percussion instruments to tell a story while learning how to manipulate rhythmic pattern to create songs. Third, fourth and fifth graders have written songs with themes that reinforce academic curriculum.

PS 368K - Andrew Drury: Andrew works with special needs students on percussion with found and recycled objects. These students are improvising rhythms and creating a layered composition to perform at the end of the month.

Unity Center for Urban Technology – Athena Reich and Claire Benton: Athena and Claire have been training the teachers at Unity to integrate the arts into their curriculum. Through a series of workshops and in-class visits, teachers have written songs about photosynthesis, diamonds, samurais and created dances to teach students about the people of Rome.

PS 89K – Athena Reich and John Bellia: 3rd, 4th and 5th graders are learning composition and songwriting in a whole new way. John has taken students through the process of creating rhythms on trashcans, buckets, and paint cans and layering them into a complex piece of music. Athena is working with the conflict resolution curriculum in place at the school by having students write and perform songs on the topic and giving them an outlet to express themselves and solve their own problems.

IS 311K – Lisa Karrer and David Simons: Over the course of 6 weeks, 7th graders created their own instruments out of tubes, bottles, and cans and created their own compositions for performance. Students were taught about improvisation and performance techniques as well.

JHS 162K – Danny Ashkenasi and Andrew Drury: Students at 162K will be starting composition workshops this month incorporating junk percussion and rap into the classroom curriculum. Danny will work with students on finding ways to resolve conflict by creating short theatrical scenes and rap compositions.

02-15-07: SPRING CAMPAIGN - MNMP joins Spotlight on the Arts Campaign

MNMP joins the Spotlight on the Arts Campaign held by EBay and MissionFish in February - April 2007.

Everyone selling items on EBay can donate between 10% - 100% of proceeds of their auctions to any non-profit that is registered with MissionFish.com (MNMP is one of those organizations). During the months of February - April, EBay and MissionFish will work to encourage sellers and customers on their site to designate a part of their auction proceeds to an arts organization of their choice.

You can be part of this campaign and help us raise funds for arts education programs and concerts as you go through your closets and garages for spring cleaning. Donate your items directly to us, or put them on EBay and make us your designated beneficiary.

Go here to read more about Ebay's giving program: Ebay Giving Works

Or email us at contact@mnmp.org.

Emptying out your closet never felt so good!

02-15-07: MUSIC - MNMP wins new grant from Department of Cultural Affairs NYCulture

New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs has been a loyal supporter of our musical activities over the past five years. So, we consider ourselves blessed to continue to receive their support even in this season with a generous $10,000 grant for the delivery of cultural services in the city. Look for us in public parks and concert halls in the coming months, where this money will be put to good use. Other support for our concert series this year has come from NYSCA.

02-15-07: MUSIC - MNMP aquires copyrights to Paul Nash's catalog & recordings

Two years in the making, MNMP has acquired all the copyrights to the catalog of works and recordings of our late founder, jazz guitarist and composer Paul Nash.

Amongst the treasures are two previously unreleased CD length recordings, containing some of Paul's most beautiful writing. Recorded in the last year of his life at M&I Recording Studios in New York City, and performed by a stellar line-up including Jack Walrath (trumpet), David Taylor(trombone), Bruce Williamson (saxes, clarinets, flute), Tim Reis (tenor sax), Jim Ridl (piano), Vic Juris (guitar), and Grisha Alexiev (drums) amonst others, these two CDs form his musical legacy and reconfirm his position as an imporant creator of modern jazz and new music.

We are currently preparing the release of both CDs for September 2007. CDs will be available on our website, at Amazon.com and on iTunes.

To listen to a taste of the new recordings click HERE.

If you'd like to preorder your copy and help us with the production cost or to read more about the upcoming releases, go to our ONLINE STORE.

02-15-07: MUSIC - MNMP wins CMA/ASCAP Award for its concert programming 2005-6 Site Specific Concert Series in memory of Paul Nash honored by the Chamber Music America and ASCAP.

On January 13th, at the annual CMA conference in New York City, MNMP's Director Julia Reinhart received the award for adventurous programming by a jazz ensemble for the site specific concert series MNMP has held in 2005 and 2006 to honor the musical legacy of our founder, jazz composer and guitarist Paul Nash. ASCAP's Frances Richard, Vice President and Director for Concert Music had high praise for our site-specific concert series, maintaining that we kept the music of a very important composer alive. Chamber Music America (CMA) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) established the CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming to recognize ensembles, presenters, and festivals that demonstrate a commitment to performing contemporary chamber music. The 2007 awards focus on the performance of music written after 1980, and will be presented in January at the 2007 CMA National Conference in New York City. The awards, administered by Chamber Music America, are made in four main categories: Chamber Ensembles, Presenting Organizations and Festivals, and Special Recognition. A special recognition Award is offered for a Chamber Ensemble, Presenting Organization or Festival demonstrating a shift in programming from traditional repertory to new music, with special emphasis on music written after 1980.

02-15-07 EDUCATION - New Program: Interact With Classics

MNMP is proud to announce our new partnership with the New Jersey Opera Theatre (NJOT) by promoting their successful hands-on operatic experience program for students in grades K-8:

INTERACT WITH CLASSICS
(supported by the Geraldine R. Doodge Foundation)

THE MAGIC FLUTE (available from March 26 - April 27 2007)
CARMEN (available from May 1 - May 25 2007)

INTERACT WITH CLASSICS is an interactive performance experience for students in kindergarten through 8th grades that gives children a chance to perform along side industry professionals in their own schools. A study guide is provided to help teachers make curricular connections in literacy and social studies, and to offer guidance in preparing for an engaging culminating event. Professional artists visit each school and teach hands-on workshops in which students learn songs, dances, and theatrical scenes from Bizet's, Carmen, or Mozart's, Magic Flute that are performed in a final 35-minute production that the whole family can enjoy.

Any school with a tuned piano and a performance space is eligible for this program. Theatrical sets and costumes and all other equipment are provided. For the low price of $1500, your students can leave with a sense of accomplishment and a renewed love for the arts.

NJOT is nationally recognized as a leader among regional opera companies providing opera for all and arts education for a lifetime. Through high quality opera performances, sustainable education programs and related activities, NJOT stimulates, promotes and satisfies interest in opera in the community, creates new and sustained audiences for the art form of opera, and fosters the development of emerging artists.

02-15-07 EDUCATION - MNMP showcases its residency work for School Administrators on March 7th

Principals and Arts Coordinators, Are you looking for new ways to engage your students in the arts? MNMP presents its first annual Arts Curriculum Planning Workshop for School Administrators See how MNMP can help you to empower students to create original works of art through music, dance, theatre, visual art, and creative writing through: - Literacy programs - Arts integration for children with special needs and ELL/ESL - Folk, ballroom, and jazz dance - Student performances - Instrumental music - Composition - Music technology - Improv theatre - Percussion - New Jersey Opera Theatre Date: Wednesday, March 7th, 2007 Time: 4 - 6:30pm Place: Producer's Club 358 West 44th Street (at 9th Avenue) New York, NY 10036 Refreshments will be provided. RSVP: Kristen M. Nolan, Director of Education, (212) 977-1070 kristen@mnmp.org

12-07-06: MUSIC - MNMP wins CMA/ASCAP Award for its concert programming

2005-6 Site Specific Concert Series in memory of Paul Nash honored by the Chamber Music America and ASCAP. On January 13th, at the annual CMA conference in New York City, MNMP's Director Julia Reinhart will receive the award for adventurous programming by a jazz ensemble for the site specific concert series MNMP has held in 2005 and 2006 to honor the musical legacy of our founder, jazz composer and guitarist Paul Nash. The award is given to the entire organization in memory of Paul. Chamber Music America (CMA) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) established the CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming to recognize ensembles, presenters, and festivals that demonstrate a commitment to performing contemporary chamber music. The 2007 awards focus on the performance of music written after 1980, and will be presented in January at the 2007 CMA National Conference in New York City. The awards, administered by Chamber Music America, are made in four main categories: Chamber Ensembles, Presenting Organizations and Festivals, and Special Recognition. A special recognition Award is offered for a Chamber Ensemble, Presenting Organization or Festival demonstrating a shift in programming from traditional repertory to new music, with special emphasis on music written after 1980.

11-21-06: Seeking new board members:

MNMP is looking to expand its Board of Directors to include passionate Ambassadors for the Arts in their communities who feel that MNMP's work is important and want to help.

Ideal candidates will have the following traits:

- a deep passion for arts education and the performance and creation of contemporary jazz and new music.
- the willingness to spend some of their time to help our development team to knock on doors with potential individual and corporate donors
- a wide range of connection in their ethnic and professional communities
- an entrepreneurial background or experience as a senior officer in their profession

Interested candidates should submit a covernote and resume to our Board Chair for consideration. Email to julia@mnmp.org or fax to 212-977-1069.

11-09-06: MNMP wins new Empire State Partnership grant with The Children's School in Brooklyn, NY

Form, Function & Feeling: Making Connections Between Disciplines
(funded through a grant by the New York State Council on the Arts )

The Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP), in partnership with The Children's School (PS372K), is thrilled to announce a pilot program, Form, Function and Feeling: Making Connections Between Disciplines (FFF).

Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals and arts specialists will work in tandem with teaching artists to develop and implement integrated, standards-based curriculum with 3 objectives:

- 1.To develop a multidisciplinary curriculum with Social Studies and Arts themes at the center of the inquiry; organizing curriculum around essential questions of concern to students and significant in the real world.

- 2.To explore interdisciplinary connections and commonalities between the four arts areas and subject areas. We will explore and develop common vocabulary and conceptual links between different areas of study, all centered on a single inquiry question.

- 3.To promote and facilitate collaborative learning between students, teachers, teaching artists, parents and community members. As a pilot, Form, Function and Feeling (FFF) involves PS 372K's three third-grade classes, their classroom teachers and paraprofessionals, and three of the school's arts teachers. In subsequent years, FFF will be expanded in scope and implemented in multiple grades.

The program committee will develop a curriculum for this program which will be implemented in the classroom through a teaching artist residency.

11-01-06: Bring the arts into the life of a child in New York City

For the price of a premium latte a day, you can bring the arts to a child in a New York City Public School.

Click HERE to give your support.

Gold Star: $500 +
Silver Star: $250 - $499
Bronze Star: $100 - $249
Friend of MNMP: $1-$99

Monthly Giving Plans:
Gold Partner: $100 / month
Silver Partner: $50 / month
Bronze Partner: $20 / month

Many public schools around New York City struggle to offer their students a rich arts education program, as school budgets get cut or pressure increases to deliver on literacy and math test scores. MNMP assists schools in bringing arts to their students through teacher trainings, residency programs, school concerts and after-school classes. We already work in 30 schools around the city but look to expand our work to schools that could not afford our services. Many of these schools do not currently have arts programs for their kids.

Your contribution will help us to change that.

MNMP has set up several ways you can support our work:

- Give anonymously through the Network for Good and Just Give
- Send MNMP a donation through Paypal
- Send MNMP a check to our office at 303 W 42nd Street Suite 614, NY, NY 10036

11-21-06: MNMP RECORDINGS ON OUR WEBSITE & MYSPACE.COM

You can now hear MNMP perform works by our late founder Paul Nash on our website here at www.mnmp.org/listen.html.

Also, join our community of friends on our myspace page here at www.myspace.com/manhattannewmusicproject.

CD's can be purchsed through our online store here www.mnmp.org/onlinestore.html. Net proceeds will contribute to our programming in music and education.

10-25-06: Concert Premiere for the Music Cre8tor on Nov 4 & 5!

THE SPONTANEOUS MUSIC FESTIVAL November 4 & 5
@ the Issue Project Room, 400 Carroll St Brooklyn (between Bond and Nevins)

Students and professional musicians will perform an interactive musical composition on traditional music instruments and the new Music Cre8tor, MNMP's interactive music composition device particularly suitable for the physically and cognitively challenged. It uses movement sensors that can be held or attached to a person's wrist, arm, leg, etc to allow its user to create musical landscapes or work with individual aspects of intonation: pitch, tempo, or dynamics. To learn more about the Music Cre8tor, click here.

November 4th, 2-5pm: Free workshop with special guest composers, David Simons, Lisa Karrer and Jane Rigler, inventors of new instruments!

November 5th, 5pm: Concert (participants and family: FREE)
General Public: $10 (sliding scale)

For more information and to sign up please contact:
Jane Rigler: 917-826-9608 info@janerigler.com

www.janerigler.com

www.mnmp.org

www.issueprojectroom.org

The Spontaneous Music Festival is supported by a grant from The Brooklyn Arts Council and the Manhattan New Music Project.
The Music Cre8tor was developed through a grant from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

10-25-06: A glimpse into some of our classrooms

PS 24K - Sue Terry: A band has been born in 24K! 4th and 5th graders are taking advantage of instruments found at the school and creating a beginning band. While learning the fundamentals of music, students will also have the chance to listen and analyze the music of others and begin to improvise on their instruments.

PS 24K - Sarah Loveland and Sue Terry: Beginning in January, 4th graders will learn how to play the recorder and compose their own recorder pieces. Sarah and Sue will also integrate vocal music into the curriculum and focus on exposing these ESL and ELL students to the joy of music.

International High School - Kevin Ray: 9th and 10th graders are exploring creative drama and improvisation. Students will begin writing their own monologues and scenes through the use of tableaux. Most students are recent immigrants and all are ELL.

IS 96K - Claire Benton: Junior high students are being introduced to modern dance. Claire is giving students a solid foundation in the art of creative movement and the class will choreograph and perform a piece of their own creation in December.

IS 96K - Sarah Godbehere: 6th and 7th graders are beginning a 10 week study of social and ballroom dance. Students will learn dances such as contra dance, tango, fox trot, waltz, salsa, and swing. The classes will perform pieces in each style in December and even help to add their own choreography.

IS 96K - Richie Vitale: Richie is working with the 6th grade band as a brass specialist. Students will have intense sectional rehearsals with Richie to advance their own technique on their instruments.

PS 315K - Maitreya Levanchild: Kindergarten and 5th grade students at this performing arts school will learn West African and Latin dance styles which correlate with the social studies curriculum.

PS 315K - Sarah Loveland: 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are playing in both beginning and advanced orchestra and learning sectional music to perform in a holiday concert. Students are also learning how to improvise and perform pieces of their very own. Sarah is also a mentor to all of the 3rd grade teachers and is teaching them to play the recorder and integrate music into the academic classroom.

PS 191Q - Matt Bogdanow: Matt will be performing in a kick-off assembly at 191 and introducing the students to songwriting and junk percussion. Kindergarten, first, and second grade students will then participate in a 6 week percussion workshop and learn how to manipulate rhythmic pattern to create songs. Third, fourth and fifth graders will be writing songs with themes that reinforce academic curriculum.

PS 20R - Vince Ector: 4th and 5th grade students will learn the art of percussion and even make some of their own instruments. Students will compose their own music and play together as a percussion ensemble in a performance in December.

PS 20R - Athena Reich: 3rd and 4th graders will explore the art of songwriting and self expression through music. Using the theme of "friendship," students will create their own songs to learn how to be good friends to their peers and better citizens in the school. Athena will be working with the teachers to reinforce material being taught in literacy classes.

PS 368K - Andrew Drury: 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers will be trained to integrate the arts into their classrooms and to use percussion to teach math skills. In January, Andrew will work with special needs students on percussion with found and recycled objects.

10-25-06: Creative & Integrative Arts Educators Program in District 75

Work has started in workshops and classrooms in eight schools around New York City on the Creative & Integrative Arts Educators Program.

So far, teachers have learned the basics of developing a theme for their play, creating characters, chosing a setting for their story and starting to flesh out story and character elements through theater improvisation games. Teachers also learned to explore language and emotion through movement and musical motifs.

CIAE is a professional development program designed to encourage students' creative inquiry and artistic expression, using a musical theater production as its organizing concept. Through a series of professional development workshops and extensive in-school support, participating teachers will learn skills and strategies across all arts disciplines (drama, music, dance, visual arts, and creative writing) to facilitate student artistic creation based on themes from their academic curricula.

9-10-06: Final Two Site Specific Concerts for 2006 coming up on Sept 12 & 14th!

For the last time this year, MNMP will pack up it's gear and venture out to public parks around New York City to perform our late founder Paul Nash's site specific composition New York Anthems: Still Sounds Run Deep.

Under the baton of artist extra-ordinaire Art Baron, a selection of New York City's finest jazz performers will play up for you on the following two dates:

* TUESDAY, SEPT 12 @ 1 - 2 PM: CENTRAL PARK BAND SHELL
    (near the 79th street entrance on the East side of the park.

* THURSDAY, SEPT 14 @ 1 - 2 PM: OLD BANDSHELL LAWN in TOMPKINS
    SQUARE PARK
    (near Avenue A and East 7th Street)

The events are free to the public, so we welcome you and your friends!

How to get there:

Central Park Band Shell: Take 6 train to 77th Street and walk 2 blocks westwards towards Central Park. Inside Central Park follow the road that cuts across the park until you see a fountain on the right hand side. The old band shell is located on the left.

Tompkins Square Park: Take the L-train to 1st Avenue, head one block east on East 14th Street and take a right onto Avenue A. Walk down to East 7th Street, take a left onto East 7th and enter the park halfway down the block.

The performances are held outdoors in reasonable weather. Call 646-220-6302 in the morning of the perfomances if weather is uncertain.

On "New York Anthems" by Paul Nash
This sonic sculpture weaves many known musical themes connected to New York City into an interactive site-specific musical performance work that is intended to be a sonic analog to public art. Paul Nash conceived of this piece as a performance piece for large public spaces, such as plazas and parks. It weaves together composed sections with improvisational interplay on surrounding sounds including helicopters, traffic, and conversations. Performers are deployed throughout the space and perform in a variety of musical textures.

These performances are made possible by NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts) and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

9-10-06: Personnel News

MNMP HIRES NEW DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Please join me in welcoming Kristen M. Nolan to the MNMP staff as our new Director of Education. She joined us on June 26 and hit the ground running with securing new partner schools for our artist residencies and teacher training programs in New York City Public Schools. She received her Bachelor's of Music Education from The Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music and her M.A. in Theatre from The University of Akron's School of Theatre. Ms. Nolan spent six years as Director of Music and Drama at St. Mary School (SMS), where she developed and taught an intensive Fine Arts curriculum, and founded the SMS Dramatic Arts Organization. She spent four seasons as Youth Theatre Director of Western Reserve Youth Theatre, a summer performing arts camp and also served as director and/or choreographer of the Western Reserve Playhouse mainstage productions. Ms. Nolan served as Resident Musical Director of St. Richard Theatre Company for four seasons. An actor and an award-winning vocalist, Ms. Nolan has appeared in Gypsy (Mama Rose), Into The Woods (Cinderella), Songs For A New World (Woman 1), Working (Millworker), Street Scene, and Baby, as well as Carousel Dinner Theatre's production of Evita, directed by Joseph Patton. Ms. Nolan is also a vocal and acting coach.

9-10-06: MNMP & NYC's Region 7 win new four-year federal grant to help English Language Learners in Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn

10/ 2006 - 9/ 2010: SETTING THE STAGE FOR SUCCES (SSS)
Arts Centered Education for Special Needs Students And English Language Learners in Inclusion Classes
(funded through a grant by the US Department of Education):

Region 7 of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), home of over 137,000 students in Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn is collaborating with MNMP on a four-year, interdisciplinary, integrative arts initiative: Setting the Stage for Success (SSS), a standards-based program for English Language Learners (ELLs), Special Education inclusion classes, and the arts educators and classroom teachers who service them. A total of 6 schools in Community Districts 20, 21 and 31 will participate in this program. SSS is a program designed to encourage students' creative inquiry and artistic expression, using a student-created musical theater production as its organizing concept. Through a series of professional development workshops and extensive in-school support, participating teachers will learn skills and strategies across all arts disciplines (drama, music, dance, visual arts, and creative writing) to facilitate student artistic creation, based on themes from their academic curricula. Rather than viewing students as passive consumers of the arts, we seek to foster active, inquisitive, collaborative creators, capable of self expression through a variety of arts disciplines and media. In addition to increased arts competency, we also anticipate improved language facility and academic performance from participating students. In the final year of the program, a group of participating teachers will be trained to train other teachers in this curriculum to disseminate the knowledge gained throughout Region 7 and the entire NYC public school system.

9-10-06: Successful first year for MNMP's federal grant with NYC's District 75 for Special Education

10/ 2005 - 9/ 2008: CREATIVE & INTEGRATIVE ARTS EDUCATORS (CIAE) (A collaboration with District 75 funded under a grant by the US Department of Education)

Work is under way to set up the second of three years under this project. The 8 participating schools will be located in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Program activity has taked up September 1st.

In its first year, a series of eight comprehensive workshops introduced 45 art teachers, classroom teachers and educational assistants from eight schools around New York City into the essential strategies needed to assist their students in writing and creating a musical theater production. 16 classes these teachers worked with spent their school year exploring classroom topics and every day life situations through the lens of musical theater. The students performed these musicals for parents, students and members of their community and tell the story of their journey of writing, rehearsing and designing the productions. Students created the entire final performance themselves: They wrote the scripts and the songs, they choreographed their dances, designed their costumes and rehearsed together with their classroom and arts teachers. Under the theme for the school year, the Circle of Life, students explored real life experiences such as dealing with money, theft and honesty, issues of friendship and social interaction, and other aspects of life in school. Hailing predominantly from minority and underprivileged backgrounds, the oldest participants are 17 - 21 years old and attend Occupational Therapy Centers around the city that focus on preparing students with cognitive challenges to enter a productive adult life. Younger participants attend special education programs for students with cognitive disabilities, autism, learning and behavioral challenges.

Click HERE to read the first year review by Dr. Rob Horowitz, our program evaluator.

Mayor Bloomberg Salutes the CIAE Program!
In a letter, dated May 24th 2006, the Mayor addresses the students who participated in the first year of the CIAE program.

Click HERE to read the Mayor's Letter

9-10-06: Expanded Classroom & Residency Programs

MNMP has significantly expanded its array of classroom residency and teacher training programs that are available to schools around New York. Residency programs foster original, student-created artistic work across all artistic disciplines. To make programs available in the areas of music, drama, dance/movement, visual arts and creative writing, MNMP has significantly expanded its teaching artist staff within the past few weeks. Most of our programs integrate more than one arts discipline.

Consistent with the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts, as well as the New York City Blueprint for the Arts, we infuse the creative process into everyday curriculum to support student learning. As a whole, our programs address skill-based learning, aesthetic comprehension, contextual and cultural understanding, as well as curriculum-integrated instruction.

Recently added partner schools for residency programs include: PS 315K, INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, FREDRICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY, PS 191Q, IS 96K, UNITY HIGH SCHOOL, and PS24K

An outline of possible residency programs can be found HERE
More information on teacher training programs can be found HERE.

MNMP Accredited Partnership Program
In 2005 MNMP started its accredited partnership program for young arts organizations. Artists and organizations who do not currently have their own service provider contract with the New York City Department of Education, but meet our stringent quality requirements in terms of education and program concent can start building their resumee by operating as one of our accredited partners. Current partners include Bronx Music Together, Jake Alrich and Christoph Knoche.

Schools in which we operate with accredited partners include: PS 86X, PS 12X and the Bronx Little School.

9-10-06: MNMP puts final touches on Music Cre8tor

(supported though a grant by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation)

The Music Cre8tor is an interactive music composition device particularly suitable for the physically and cognitively challenged. It uses movement sensors that can be held or attached to a person's wrist, arm, leg, etc to allow its user to create musical landscapes or work with individual aspects of intonation: pitch, tempo, or dynamics. By adapting the parameters of movement to each individual user's range of motion, any person can control and compose music even by the slightest of motions or large and sudden gestures. Up to four people can play and interact with each other, record their creations and edit sound playback files as well as other kinds of sonic sources.

This program is designed for use by all ages and a diverse set of populations within special education. It has been successfully tested for both middle school and high school ages. During our trials, the Music Cre8tor was used with joy by students with limited mobility as well as students with complete mobility but limited cognitive capacity.

The concept of the Music Cre8tor, which is in its final stages of development, was conceived by the late Paul Nash, founder of the Manhattan New Music Project, was fine-tuned by his successor and co-conspirator Julia Reinhart and is currently being finalized by Jane Rigler, a renowned musician and experienced teaching artist. The software program and hardware design has been crafted and manufactured by Hans Tammen at Harvestworks studios, in New York.

The Music Cre8tor is currently being tested in classrooms around New York City's public schools.

CONTACT US if you want to bring the Music Cre8tor to your school.