After announcing the receipt of a $20,000
grant from the Mirza Foundation, Lincoln College President
David Gerlach gives a congratulatory fist-bump to
Contemporary Jazz student Rashann Ford of Aurora, while Deb
Ackerman, vice-president of institutional advancement, and
Denise La Grassa, lead faculty for Contemporary Jazz at
Lincoln College, look on.
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Mirza
Foundation Grant will provide Lincoln College Jazz Students with
studio
Funds allow Contemporary Jazz Students to
learn studio production
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[January 19, 2019]
LINCOLN
- Contemporary Jazz students at Lincoln College will soon have
on-campus access to state-of-the-art recording and sound editing
equipment, thanks to a recent grant from the Jerome Mirza
Foundation.
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The $20,000 grant will allow the college to install a
complete recording and sound editing suite at the Johnston Center
for the Arts. It’s all part of the vision of Contemporary Jazz
Studies Lead Faculty Dr. Denise La Grassa to expand the
opportunities and post-graduation employment options for students.
“We greatly appreciate the support and guidance of the Mirza
Foundation,” Dr. David Gerlach, president of Lincoln College said.
“This generous contribution will allow us to take the next step in
developing our Contemporary Jazz Studies program.”
According to Gerlach, the mission of Lincoln College and its service
to underserved populations, combined with the exciting things going
on in the Contemporary Jazz Program, made this a natural for the
Mirza Foundation.
The Jerome Mirza Foundation was established by Bloomington attorney
Jerome Mirza (1937-2007). Mirza was an undergraduate theater major
and never forgot those roots, supporting a variety of contemporary
artists during his career. He was not only an outstanding attorney,
a role model to other lawyers, an author and an outstanding
contributor to legal education, he was also a dedicated patron of
the arts.
Mirza was a nationally-known attorney who served as president of the
Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers
Association. He was the author of numerous books, including
“Illinois Tort Law and Practice” and “Winning Litigation the Mirza
Way.” He founded the Jerome Mirza College of Advocacy at Illinois
Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois.
“We want to build on our students’ abilities and interests, both
honing their own talents as well as providing them with the
background to explore pathways to productive and rewarding careers,”
La Grassa said. “The market for performing artists is thin; but the
market for music-related careers – recording engineers, audio
editors, sound managers – is rich with possibility. Giving students
these opportunities will provide them with more options so that they
can pursue their love of music in today’s competitive environment.”
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The project will outfit an available room with appropriate
hardware and software, speakers, microphones and other equipment to constitute a
functioning audio recording studio. Students will participate in the
construction and operation of the studio and use it in the production of their
own, and others’ musical creations.
The project is intended to also enable students to explore and prepare for
ancillary professional opportunities in the music field, such as music producer,
recording engineer, audio editor, sound technician and acoustic consultant. Over
the past year, contemporary jazz students have been working with two
nationally-known recording engineers, Erik Nelson of Bloomington-Normal based
Eclipse Studios, and Rick Barnes of Chicago’s Rax Trax studio.
As part of the grant, Nelson, who is assisting the program as an adjunct
instructor, will guide students through the process of building the recording
studio and recording their own original music.
Nelson is a three-time Grammy nominated engineer/songwriter. He has worked with
a wide array of jazz musicians and bands as well as popular hip-hop artists. He
has also worked in a variety of genres with popular music groups including R&B
vocal quartet Boyz II Men, and metal band Mudvayne, as well as with Disney. He
is a multi-platinum record producer, songwriter, musician and engineer. He’s
currently recording rap artist Montana of 300 and arranged for the artist to
conduct a workshop with Lincoln College students last November.
[Mark Gordon
Public Relations and Media Manager
Lincoln College]
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