Spring 2021 Newsletter
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION SPRING 2021 Paul Williams President, The ASCAP Foundation Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear Watch Our Songwriter Series: Photo by Igor Kasyanyuk OUR MISSION INSPIRING REVOLUTIONS! The ASCAP Foundation, Stay in touch and connected with what is happening in today’s music scene! a 501(c)(3) public charity, is dedicated to nurturing Inspiring Revolutions, presented by The ASCAP Foundation, has just wrapped up its third episode featuring the incred- the music talent of ible duo behind Bridgerton the Musical - Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. You don’t want to miss it. Also available for your tomorrow, preserving the viewing pleasure are episodes featuring Paul Williams with Ryan Cassata and Bandits on the Run. legacy of the past and Simply go to our YouTube channel to hear the stories behind the songs and the tunes of talented and inspiring young sustaining the creative music creators. Learn about artists’ lives through the lens of current events from wherever you are in the world. Subscribe incentive for today’s to us on YouTube and follow our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ASCAPfoundation. music creators though a variety of educational, professional and humanitarian programs. THE HERB ALPERT YOUNG JAZZ The Foundation’s COMPOSER AWARDS efforts primarily Photo montage by Frank J. Oteri focus on supporting The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer music education and Awards were established to encourage gifted young jazz composers up to the age of 30. It carries the name of the encouraging aspiring great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert thanks to songwriters, composers a generous, multi-year gift from The Herb Alpert Founda- and lyricists. tion. The Newport Festival Foundation features one of the recipients during the Newport Jazz Festival. Recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition. The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2021 competition www.ascapfoundation.org were: Ambrose Akinmusire, Wycliffe Gordon and Jihye Lee. Additional funding for this program is provided by The ascapfoundation ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund. @ascap.com ASCAP Foundation 2021 Herb Alpert Young Jazz @ascapfoundation Composer awardees: Top row (l to r): Clint Bleil, age 26; Andy Clausen, age 28; Stratøs (Eddie Codrington), age 24; Michael Echaniz, age 26; Eliana Fishbeyn, age 25 2nd row (l to r): Ariel Sha Glassman, age 24; Philip Ryan Goss, age 28; Jon Hatamiya, age 29; Joseph Herbst, age 25; Chase Kuesel, age 27 3rd row (l to r): Aditi Malhotra, age 23; Luca Mendoza, age 22; Lesley Mok, age 26; Yu Nishiyama, age 26; Zach Rich, age 27 4th row (l to r): Yoko Suzuki, age 26; Gary (Kaiji) Wang, age 25; Alex Weitz, age 30; Matt Wong, age 22; Courtney Wright, age 26 5th row (l to r): Honorable Mentions: Henry Godfrey, age 24; Oliver Mann, age 17; Daiki Nakajima, age 18; Hunter McKay, age 24; Yuma Uesaka, age 30; Andrew Watkins Alcocer, age 24 Acclaimed Composer TANIA LEÓN and Latin Music Industry Leader BETSY PÉREZ Join The ASCAP Foundation Board of Directors The ASCAP Foundation has named Tania León and Betsy Pérez to its Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences among Board of Directors. Both bring impressive credentials and experience others. She also received a proclamation for Composers Now by the New paired with an unparalleled passion for nurturing aspiring York City Mayor and the MadWoman Festival Award in Music (Spain). songwriters, composers and lyricists and ensuring León has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Colgate that music education is available in schools and University, Oberlin and SUNY Purchase College. A CUNY communities across the United States. Professor Emerita, she was awarded a 2018 United States “Tania and Betsy are a true gift to The ASCAP Artists Fellowship. Foundation,” said ASCAP Foundation Executive Betsy Pérez is the Executive Director/Senior Vice President Director Colleen McDonough. “We are grateful of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. She joined LSHOF upon for the passion, dedication and vision these its founding nine years ago and since then has spearheaded new Board members bring, and we welcome its commitment to preserving and celebrating the legacy of their commitment to helping The Foundation fulfill Tania León the world’s greatest Latin songwriters and encouraging the its mission to support and develop American music development of future generations of songwriters. creators.” Photo: Michael Provost Dedicated to community service, Pérez ran A native of Cuba, Tania León is highly regarded as a composer, for Miami Beach City Commission and now conductor, educator and advisor to arts organizations. serves on the Mayors Steering Committee. She is also Chair of Sister Cities International in A founding member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, León Miami Beach and serves on the Board of the instituted the Brooklyn Philharmonic Community Concert Animal Welfare Society of South Florida, Series and co-founded the American Composers Orchestra’s overseeing a multi-million-dollar budget. For Sonidos de las Américas festivals. Previously the New Music the Covid-19 pandemic, Pérez launched “Thank Advisor to the New York Philharmonic, she is now the founder/ Betsy Pérez You Thursdays” to procure donations to feed the Artistic Director of the nonprofit and festival Composers Now. City of Miami Beach Police, raising over $20,000 to Her honors include the New York Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, show support for those who risk their lives to protect the the ASCAP Victor Herbert Award and elections to the American Academy of safety of others. The ASCAP Foundation Andrew A. Isen Musical Theater Songwriting Workshop On March 19, 2021, high school musical theater students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. performed their original songs alongside Broadway stars as the cul- mination of the second annual ASCAP Foundation Andrew A. Isen Musical Theater Songwriting Workshop. The concert was open to the public as a free webcast. This was a four-month intensive workshop where the Duke Ellington School of the Arts students col- laborated with their classmates to create original songs under the direction of ASCAP songwriter and Broadway performer Nick Blaemire. The performance showcased the songwriting talents of senior year theater stu- dents and included performances by the students and Broadway singers. Student songwriters were Nyah Alexis, Samiya Allen-Graham, Eric Easter, Makael Exum, Elisha Fonseca, Lauren K. Harris, Cassie Lustig, K’Lah Morgan, Mari Powell, Jahmiya Quarles, Taylor Robinson, De’La Strader, Kwencie Stewart, Taylor Tomp- kins and Erik Ventura. Broadway Performers include: Chad Burris (Mean Girls, Frozen), Sara Kapner (Band’s Visit), Jon-Michael Lyles (A Strange Loop, The OA), Vasthy Mompoint (SpongeBob, The Prom), Doron Mitchell (To Kill a Mockingbird), Ines Nassara (The Wiz, Ragtime), James Hayden Rodriguez (The Lightning Thief), Vishal Vaidya (Groundhog Day), RJ Vaillancourt (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Jason Veasey (A Strange Loop, The Lion King). SONGWRITERS (AND THEIR STORIES): NEXT GENERATION Goes Virtual! Molly Joyce Songwriters: Next Generation, a program of The ASCAP Foundation went virtual and was aired on Thursday, May 6. You can view it on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel. Featuring 6 emerging ASCAP songwriters and composers, this multi-genre cast of talented performers share their musical journeys and their original songs providing a unique glimpse of when and how music shaped their lives. The show featured country singer-songwriter Austin Jenckes, R&B singer- songwriter Liza Yohannes, pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader Mathis Picard, composer, playwright, musician and performer Joriah Kwame, composer, performer Molly Joyce, and pop-country artist/songwriter Riley Roth. Hosted by ASCAP member Stephen Bray, Riley Roth songwriter, drummer, and record producer, best known for his collaborations with Madonna, being a member of the band Breakfast Club, and for winning the 2017 Grammy Award for the Best Musical Theater Album of the Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Austin Jenckes Purple, this autobiographical musical Mathis Picard story will inspire and entertain you. Tune in! This talent development initiative was made possible by your contributions and the Bart Howard Estate. Joriah Kwame You can view Liza Yohannes Songwriters: Next Generation on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel. THE ASCAP FOUNDATION HONORS GOES VIRTUAL TO CELEBRATE NEXT GENERATION OF MUSIC CREATORS Karen Mason With presentations from living rooms and home studios around the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award to prodigy Matthew Whitaker, country, The ASCAP Foundation virtually hosted The ASCAP Foundation who took the piano for his composition “Emotions.” Honors in recognition of 2020s remarkable young award winners and Other standout moments were from Jay Gorney Award winner and the donors who make these awards possible. Celebrating 25 years of emerging songwriter Eliza Spear, performing her socially-conscious, honors and 118 award and scholarship recipients, the show, which award-winning tune “If I Don’t Try;” hit aired on December 8, 2020, can still songwriter Valerie Simpson presenting the be viewed on The ASCAP Foundation YouTube channel. The virtual festivities “Reach Out and Touch” Award in honor of showcased a bounty of unforgettable her husband Nick Ashford to songwriter- performances with heartfelt remarks artist Eddie B. Sands, who performed his celebrating