New School School of Jazz and Contemporary Music Dean's Office records
Abstract
The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music was established at The New School in 1986. These records, largely compiled by former dean Martin Mueller, cover the School of Jazz from its inception through Mueller's retirement in 2016. Includes administrative files pertaining to program planning, publicity materials, budget and fund raising, promotional materials, and photographs and event records documenting visiting artists, special events, classes, and student performances.
Dates
- 1942-2016
Creator
- New School University. Jazz & Contemporary Music Program (Organization)
- New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (Organization)
Extent
12 Linear Feet (10 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research use. Due to the possibility of restricted documents in the files, Archives staff will need to review materials before serving to patrons until the collection is processed. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.
Historical note
The Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at The New School was created in 1986 by Parsons School of Design Executive Dean David C. Levy, who played baritone saxophone in the East Thirteenth Street Band, and saxophonist Arnie Lawrence. It was the first degree-granting music program at the school, offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemporary Music. At the time of its creation, The New School’s only remaining music initiative was the Guitar Study Center, a part of the Adult Division offering courses in playing various instruments, which the program shared resources with. The program was designed to capitalize on The New School’s location in New York, and thereby its proximity to the city’s large jazz scene. Central to the original vision of the program was a focus on attracting instructors who were themselves distinguished and well-known jazz performers (such as Zoot Sims, Reggie Workman and Roland Hanna), whose “star power” would serve to attract students. In 1987, Martin Mueller was appointed the first executive director, and in 1989 the program became one of the founding members of the International Association of Schools of Jazz. Originally nominally independent, but administered under Parsons, in the early 1990s the program was moved to Mannes School of Music, where it remained until 1997-1998, when it was made independent again after faculty unionized, joining the American Federation of Musicians. In 1999, Martin Mueller was reappointed as executive director. In 2013, the program was made into a full division of the school, granting its director the title of dean and the school equal status to the other divisions, and in 2015 it was, along with Mannes and the School of Drama, placed under the new College of Performing Arts. Martin Mueller retired in 2016. In 2017, Keller Coker was appointed as the new dean.
Works Cited
Emmert, Hannah. “Meet Keller Coker, New Dean of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music” The New School Free Press, 18 May 2017, https://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2017/05/18/meet-keller-coker-new-dean-new-school-jazz-contemporary-music/. Accessed 20 April 2023.
Gamerekian, Baraba. “For Corcoran's New Chief, Life Is Art” The New York Times, 11 December 1990. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/11/arts/for-corcoran-s-new-chief-life-is-art.html. Accessed 26 April 2023.
Levy, David C., and Arnie Lawrence. “Proposal for a BFA Curriculum in Jazz at the New School/Parsons.” Albert Landa records, 1984. The New School Archives, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/NS030207_000010
Mueller, Martin. “Audio interview with Martin Mueller.” New School oral history program, 2012. The New School Archives and Special Collections, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/NS070101_Mueller_20121108.
The New School. “History | School of Jazz.” The New School, https://www.newschool.edu/jazz/history/. Accessed 19 April 2023.
New School News. “After 30 Years, Martin Mueller, Dean of the School of Jazz, Retires.” New School News, 27 September 2016, https://blogs.newschool.edu/news/2016/09/after-30-years-martin-mueller-dean-of-the-school-of-jazz-retires/. Accessed 19 April 2023.
Processing Information
Many of the folder titles, probably created by longtime director and dean of the Jazz program, Martin Mueller, have been retained, although in many cases material has been combined to reduce duplication and to bring materials together that belongs together. The original organization of files has been simplified, Many of the files in Series 1 were compiled by Mueller retrospectively, at various times, in preparing documentation about the development of the program for school administrators. In the photographs series, post-its identifying individuals and events that were furnished with the prints have been retained within the polyester sleeves, when the same identifying information is not inscribed on the verso of the photographs.
- International Association of Schools of Jazz
- Jazz -- Instruction and study (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jazz musicians (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Music -- Instruction and study -- United States (Subject) (Places) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Guide to The New School School of Jazz and Contemporary Music Dean's Office records
- Status
- In Process
- Author
- Wendy Scheir, Jason Adamo, Agnes Szanyi and New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin