The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts today announced that award-winning and multifaceted songwriter and performer Duncan Sheik will serve as the department’s newest Artist in Residence.
Sheik, who first attained worldwide fame with his 1997 hit “Barely Breathing,” and went on to win a Tony Award in 2007 for Best Original Score for Spring Awakening and a 2008 Grammy for producing the Spring Awakening cast album, will serve as teacher, advisor and mentor to Recorded Music students during the 2014-15 academic year.
“We’re thrilled that both our students and our faculty will have the opportunity to work with and learn from Duncan because he’s not only a musical genius, but he also truly understands the mind of the young artist,” said Jeffrey Rabhan, Chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. “He has brought depth and sophistication to pop music, and a rock sensibility to musical theater. I’m confident he’ll be an inspirational creative advisor here at the Clive Davis Institute.”
A graduate of Brown University, Sheik has released seven albums on a variety of major labels, and his song "Barely Breathing" spent a record 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. He composed the music for the major Broadway hit Spring Awakening, which won eight Tony awards. He also won a Grammy award for producing the Spring Awakening cast album. His next musical theater piece American Psycho, is coming to 2nd Stage Theater in New York after a successful run in London.
As Artist in Residence, Sheik will serve as artistic advisor for the Institute’s Stagecraft and the Art of Performance class and its Studio Performance Workshop. He will also engage in advisory meetings individually and in small groups with senior students in songwriting and performance.
As Nick Sansano, Associate Chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music said, “Duncan embodies the ideal of the multiple-threat creative entrepreneur: a well-educated performer, songwriter, and composer who not only understands how to create masterful musical works, but also understands the importance of continually creating inventive opportunities to reach a broad and growing audience."
More information about Duncan Sheik can be found on his website, and through his Twitter feed @TheDuncanSheik.
About the NYU Tisch Clive Davis Institute
The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music provides professional business and artistic training toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for students who aspire to succeed as creative entrepreneurs in the music industry. The program bears the name of its chief patron and advisor, Clive Davis.
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