THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ESTABLISHES THE ARNIE LAWRENCE SCHOLARSHIP

Established through support of Jazz Board Member and Alumnus Jean C. Lignel

New York, September 25, 2006—The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music announced today the establishment of The Arnie Lawrence Scholarship, which will benefit incoming and current students.  The scholarship is named for saxophonist and co-founder of New School Jazz Arnie Lawrence, who passed away in April 2005. Jean C. Lignel, a New School Jazz graduate and Board of Governors member, helped launch the endowed scholarship through a gift of $50,000.

“Arnie’s vision helped shape New School Jazz, and this scholarship is a fitting way to pay tribute to him, especially as we celebrate our 20th anniversary in the coming academic year,” said Martin Mueller, executive director of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. “Thanks to Jean’s generous gift, the school will be better able to attract and support new generations of jazz artists in Arnie’s memory.”

A master saxophonist and legendary teacher, Lawrence helped found New School Jazz in 1986, a realization of his vision for a sustained degree curriculum taught by professional artists. For over a decade, he served as a full-time faculty member and recruited many of the school’s extraordinary teachers.  Today, Arnie’s legacy is carried on by the current faculty—many of whom he himself mentored and brought to the school—and confirmed by a generation of outstanding and successful New School Jazz alumni. The first student to benefit from the scholarship is guitarist Gilad Hekselman, a junior who hails from Israel. An outstanding student, and winner of the 2005 Gibson Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition, Hekelsman was chosen for his commitment to innovation and, like Arnie, his belief that music can bridge even the most challenging cultural differences.

In his professional career, Lawrence performed with legends including Charles Mingus, Clark Terry, Thad Jones, and Chico Hamilton, and for many years he was a member of the Tonight Show house band. He also gave his time and talent to outreach efforts like the Jazz Ministry at Saint Peter’s Church and established the International Center for Creative Music in Jerusalem to bring together young jazz musicians from all backgrounds, including both Arabs and Israelis.  Throughout his life, Arnie maintained the firm belief that jazz had to be lived in order to be taught and learned. He once said of his approach to teaching: “I tell the students the truth, I tell them the way I developed myself, as an artist.”

Jean C. Lignel serves on the board of governors of New School Jazz and is also an accomplished pianist and graduate of the school. A native of France, Mr. Lignel was a director and investor of Veterinary Centers of America and also owned newspapers in France including Journal de Dimanchein the 1980s.  He has been a longtime supporter of the arts, and has given to the university, especially the jazz school, on numerous occasions.

The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music is the musical manifestation of The New School and its legacy. Steeped in progressive tradition while moving forward into new frontiers of sound and experimentation, New School Jazz is a rarity among conservatory music schools. With instructors who are active, professional musicians and the backing of a major university, the school provides its students with the leeway and encouragement to break through artistic barriers, the counsel of veterans in maneuvering through the terrain of the music world, and a solid academic foundation to sustain and enrich their efforts and evolution. For more information, visit www.jazz.newschool.edu.

If you would like to contribute or learn more about the Arnie Lawrence Scholarship fund, please contact Martin Mueller, executive director of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music at 212.229.5896.