Cal State L.A. Music Faculty Receives 2003-2004 ASCAP Award

California State University, Los Angeles music faculty James Newton (Chino Hills resident) was the recent recipient of a 2003-2004 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Award.

ASCAP Awards are made in recognition of the composers' creative efforts, the prestige value of their music, their continued activity as distinguished composers, and numerous performances of their works, particularly in venues or media that ASCAP cannot survey.

The cash awards, made by ASCAP, reflect continuing commitment to assist and encourage writers of serious music. The awards are granted by an independent panel and are based upon the unique prestige value of each writer's catalog of original compositions as well as recent performances of those works in areas not surveyed by the Society.

James Newton, named in the 2002 Downbeat critics' poll as the top jazz flutist for the 21st year in a row, is a professor of music at Cal State L.A., his alma mater. (Newton received his B.A. in music from Cal State L.A. in 1980.) He is recognized for forming a world-class jazz orchestra at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex. The orchestra has attracted some of the top jazz talent in the city, many of whom worked with Newton in his previous big band and in his quartet.

A Guggenheim Fellow, Newton is at home in a variety of genres, and has won numerous awards, grants and commissions in jazz, opera, ballet, classical and chamber music. He has worked with some of the great artists in both jazz and classical music, including David Murray, the New York Philharmonic, Kenny Burrell, the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, Herbie Hancock, John Carter, and many others. His CD, As the Sound of Many Waters, recorded with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, was released on New World Records. Newton, who also serves as the Luckman's Director of Music Programming and Research, is developing an eclectic schedule of jazz, classical and world music.

ASCAP, the largest performing rights organization, is a membership association of over 140,000 composers, authors, and publishers of every style of music. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership.