ITHACA, NY—Thanks to a two-year $150,000 grant from the New York State Music Fund (“The Fund”), Ithaca College will begin collaborating with local agencies to present Enduring Masters, a series of older musicians performing and reflecting on aging and their art, to senior citizens in Tompkins County. The college was one of 218 nonprofit agencies awarded a total of $19 million by The Fund, which was created when the New York State Attorney General’s Office resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting “pay for play” (also called “payola”).

 

The settlement agreement stipulated that funds paid by music businesses would support music education and appreciation for the benefit of New York State residents, making contemporary music of all genres more accessible to diverse audiences and communities within the state. The Attorney General’s office enlisted the services of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, one of the nation’s largest and most experienced philanthropy services, to develop and manage the grant program. These latest awards represent the second round of funding.

 

“Taking the payola money and using it to ensure that people of all backgrounds and interests have an opportunity to discover new and less familiar performers is an enlightened response to what was originally a negative situation,” said William Pelto, associate dean of music and codirector of the grant. “The School of Music and the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute are looking forward to working with Lifelong and other community partners to bring live appearances by older composers and musicians to senior citizens in Tompkins County.”

 

Composed of recognized leaders from a cross-section of the music world, The Fund’s advisory panel recommended 218 of 402 grant applications in a number of categories, including music education and public performances of music by artists working in hip hop, reggae, fusion, jazz, classical and folk music of all cultures. The panel also considered applications related to recording, distribution, or broadcast through traditional or new media, with the emphasis on reaching underserved populations and broadening awareness of artists, genres or styles with limited access to commercial broadcast or other mass distribution vehicles.

 

“In addition to the performances and appearances of well known artists, the collaborative work between the School of Music, the Gerontology Institute and local agencies will assist in the establishment of a center for the exploration of creativity and aging,” said John Krout, professor and director of the gerontology institute and codirector of the grant.

               

Joan Tower, Billy Taylor and Marian McPartland will be among the musicians the college will approach to participate in the Enduring Masters series. No arrangements, however, are close to being final. Enduring Masters will run through the end of 2008.

 

For more information, contact William Pelto in the School of Music at (607) 274-3348 or pelto@ithaca.edu.