The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music would like to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Whitney Houston. She was a brilliant talent whose legendary voice will be missed.

We’re deeply saddened by the news that our beloved Adjunct Associate Professor Henry Gaffney passed away yesterday (May 23rd).

Henry began his career in music as a solo recording artist, releasing albums on both RCA  (“Waiting For A Wind”), and United Artists Records (“On Again Off Again”).  He was a staff writer for Koppleman / Bandier (EMI) for 9 years. His songs have been recorded by artist from all over the world, including: Roberta Flack, Judy Collins, The Four Tops, Jennifer Warnes, Tanya Tucker, Stephanie Mills, Glen Campbell, The Pointer Sisters, Nana Mouskouri, Chris Thompson, Peaches & Herb, Faye Wong and Camillo Sesto among dozens of others. He wrote numerous songs for the Emmy winning Television series “Fame”, in addition to other TV features and in 1987 composed, arranged and produced the original score to “Sidewalk Stories, winner of the Prix Du Public at the Cannes Film Festival.

Henry taught our required freshman core Songwriting course – “Writing the Hit Song” – for many years consecutively. With his trademark mix of folksy charm and razor-sharp intellect, Henry played an instrumental role on The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music’s faculty, bringing plenty of enthusiasm and vibrant ideas to the table. Above and beyond all else, we’ll remember Henry as a warm and generous human being.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Henry’s family and friends and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers at this time.

We like this video of Mick Rock talking about Punk Drunk Love, an amazing DVD collection of images and scenes from Glam Rock.

We’re happy to have Mick teaching a Photography Masterclass with us at The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music this summer. More info is here.

HOW TO REGISTER

It’s so EASY!

ENROLL NOW IN A SUMMER COURSE BY CLICKING HERE

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE OF OUR SUMMER COURSES: CLICK HERE

Classes for the first summer session begin May 17 2010 and spots are already filling up quickly. Act now.

You can also call (212) 992-8400 for more information.

ENROLL NOW IN A SUMMER COURSE BY CLICKING HERE

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE OF OUR SUMMER COURSES: CLICK HERE

Classes for the first summer session begin May 17 2010 and spots are already filling up quickly. Act now.

You can also call (212) 992-8400 for more information.

ENROLL NOW IN THIS SUMMER COURSE BY CLICKING HERE

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE OF OUR SUMMER COURSES: CLICK HERE

Classes for the first summer session begin May 17 2010 and spots are already filling up quickly. Act now.

You can also call (212) 992-8400 for more information.

Click on the video below to check out on our crazy awesome summer music masterclass series.

ENROLL NOW IN A SUMMER COURSE BY CLICKING HERE

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE OF OUR SUMMER COURSES: CLICK HERE

Classes for the first summer session begin May 17 2010 and spots are already filling up quickly. Act now.

You can also call (212) 992-8400 for more information.

As part of our Pop Speaks discussion series here at The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, we’re happy to be hosting a guest lecture for students with multiple Grammy-winning rock producer Steve Lillywhite.

Steve began his illustrious career producing records for Ultravox, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Peter Gabriel, before helming legendary sessions for U2, The Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds, XTC, Morrissey, Dave Matthews, Phish, Chris Cornell, The Rolling Stones, Matchbox Twenty and many others. Beyond his career in the studio, Lillywhite has been an influential music executive, signing and producing at Universal Records and Columbia Records. In 2006 he received Grammy awards for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, Best Rock Album and Album of the Year for his contribution to U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

Steve is a great example of what we try to train our students to become: he’s an innovative and creative producer who also happens to have a solid background in the music business itself.

Welcome Steve!

Stay tuned to find out info about our upcoming summer masterclasses, and other good things that we’re up to.

This Fall, The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University is proud to commemorate Motown’s 50th anniversary year with a FREE eclectic conversation series on the famous record label, open to students and the general public.

NYU students also get to attend private, closed Motown events, and they can enroll in accredited courses on the label.

ABOUT MOTOWN

Started in 1959 in Detroit by budding entrepreneur Berry Gordy, Motown was boldly named “Hitsville USA,” serving as a label home to such artists as Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, The Jackson 5, the Four Tops, and many others. Motown changed the concept of the record label and redefined the very idea of entrepreneurship in recorded music, serving as core inspiration to artists from The Beatles to Beyoncé.

ABOUT THE SERIES

MOTOWN U kicked off on Thursday September 17th with REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON, an exciting panel discussion celebrating the music and career of the pop superstar (who got his start on Motown in 1969 with The Jackson 5). The panel featured luminaries Spike Lee, Margo Jefferson and others.

The next event, held on October 9th and 10th: a rare conversation with Motown Artist Development co-founder MAXINE POWELL, now in her 90s. Ms. Powell will also perform a masterclass for NYU students demonstrating her artist training techniques. This event is produced in collaboration with NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study.

The series will focus on lesser-known artists and executives associated with Motown, such as R&B superstar and Rick James protégée TEENA MARIE and songwriter-producer LEON WARE who famously penned the 1976 classic, I Want You album for Marvin Gaye.

MOTOWN COURSES

NYU students also have had the unique opportunity this Fall to enroll in a 14-week course, The Motown Legacy, taught by Harry Weinger, Grammy-winning reissue producer and Vice President at Universal Music Enterprises, where he helps oversee the Motown catalog. NYU Gallatin School professor and award-winning playwright Michael Dinwiddie is offering students a course entitled The Motown Matrix: Race, Gender and Class Identity in the Sound of Young America.

New York University’s Clive Davis Department Artistic Director Jason King, who is curating the MOTOWN U series, felt it was important for students to know more about the record label in its 50th Anniversary year. “Through brilliant music,” King remarked, “Motown helped integrate blacks and whites and rewrite the narrative of race and class in America. No serious student of music and the music business can afford not to know about Motown.”

RSVP AND SCHEDULING

The schedule and RSVP information for the rest of the series will be posted on this blog as the events unfold. Join our blog, Facebook and Twitter sites to be the first to find out about events.

Stay tuned!

In May 2008, Dan Chertoff was getting ready to graduate from The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. He’d also just started a new A&R gig at Canvasback, a record label headed by industry vet Steve Ralbovsky as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment.

Now Canvasback has jumped the Sony ship and moved over to Atlantic Records. Dan has become the first A&R exec on the label.

Dan is working on his first project: Fanfarlo, a multi-instrumentalist UK based folk/ chamber pop band with an eclectic Euro background: lead singer Simon Balthazar is Swedish and the band’s mandolin/violinist is Belgium. Fanfarlo’s debut, Reservoir, was produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) and drops October 13th on Atlantic Records. The band’s spent time on the road with Snow Patrol.

Ever the multi-tasker, Dan is also a part of management venture Beekeeper Artists (also a joint venture with Atlantic), helping oversee the career Warner Bros. Records singer-songwriter Rachel Yamagata.

Fanfarlo graces the Bowery Ballroom stage tonight and The Bell House in Brooklyn tomorrow. Here’s the video for lead single “The Walls are Coming Down.“