(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)February 29, 2016

MAHWAH, N.J. – Ramapo College of New Jersey celebrated the opening of the Les Paul Studio for Music Recording and Sound Design on Saturday, February 27. The state-of-the-art studio was funded in part by a substantial grant from the Les Paul Foundation.

The dedication was marked by a ceremony hosted by Ramapo College’s School of Contemporary Arts. Marc Gidal, Associate Professor of Musicology, made the formal introductions which included Ramapo President Peter P. Mercer; Dean of the School of Contemporary Arts Steven Perry; Associate Professor of Music Industry/Production Ben Neill; Gary Paul, grandson of Les Paul; Alex and Beth Anne Sanguesa, granddaughter of Les Paul; and Chris Lentz, Director of Media Archives, Les Paul Foundation, as well as other representatives of Ramapo College.

“Ramapo College thanks the Les Paul Foundation for its commitment to carrying on the legacy of the music giant, Les Paul, who indeed revolutionized the music industry and foresaw the need for students to learn their craft in the proper environment,” said Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer. “The Les Paul Studio setting is not for budding musicians only – students are learning the basics and honing their skills in sound production, audio engineering and voice technology for a wide variety of industry uses, including film, live performance, music composition and music videos. The names that grace the stages of the Grammys, the Tonys and the Oscars may one day include a Ramapo student who learned his or her craft right here in this very studio.”

Established to honor its namesake, the Les Paul Studio is the first of its kind at Ramapo College and was designed so that students who engage and learn in this setting will be able to function and operate any studio in the world. The fundamentals of acoustics, recording technologies and electronics have been incorporated into the curriculum while keeping both analog and digital as part of the formats. Les Paul himself found the warmth of analog sound important yet innovated with new technologies in search of the “sound no one had ever heard before.”

The Les Paul Studio features a separate control room and live room with an isolated vocal booth.  The control room features an Audient ASP4816 recording console, Pro Tools HD system, and Apogee Symphony audio interface. All levels of Recording Arts courses are taught in the studio as well as audio courses in Communication Arts.

Later in the evening, singer and bassist Nicki Parrott, accompanied by the Les Paul Trio, headlined the 2016 Les Paul Festival Concert in the Sharp Theatre of the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts. The Austin Marcelo Group, a Ramapo College student jazz ensemble, opened the concert.  Proceeds from the event supported the College’s Music Program and its valued partner the Mahwah Museum.

PHOTO CAPTION: From left, singer and bassist Nikki Parrot, Ramapo student Emma Munro, Professor Ben Neill, Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer, Alex Sanguesa, Beth Anne Sanguesa (Les Paul’s granddaughter), Gary Paul (Les Paul’s grandson) and Dean Steven Perry cut the ribbon to officially dedicate the Les Paul Music Studio at Ramapo College on February 27.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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