Newark Academy's Director of Band Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

Julius Tolentino, Director of Band at Newark Academy — a 6-12 independent school in Livingston, NJ — has been named the recipient of a DownBeat Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Education by DownBeat magazine, a national music publication devoted to jazz, blues and beyond.

The award is presented to a very select group of people who have worked diligently to help bring the next generation of jazz artists and their music to the world.

“I’ve been a fan of DownBeat magazine since I started playing jazz in high school, so it’s a huge honor to be in a select group of educators for this award,” says Julius. “It’s definitely a testament to the work that we have done at Newark Academy for me to be considered for a Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Last spring, Tolentino led Newark Academy’s jazz band, Chameleon, to be named as the top high school jazz band in the country after placing first in the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

“I want to thank all the students that have been invested in the program and the community for supporting the music I love so much,” Tolentino says. “I feel like I have another lifetime of work to share with our musicians!”

Founded in 1774, NA is one of the nation’s oldest day schools and older than our country. For more than 250 years, Newark Academy has been committed to innovative, relationship-centered teaching and learning, delivering a best-in-class education. Newark Academy’s motto, “Ad Lumen” — meaning “toward the light,” serves as the school’s guiding principle. The school’s approach has illuminated the potential in generations of students by empowering them to pursue their passions and achieve excellence both inside and outside the classroom. For more information about Newark Academy, visit www.newarka.edu.