The High School of Music & Art, informally known as Music & Art (or M&A), was a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High School of Performing Arts (est. 1947) were formed into a two-campus high school. The schools fully merged in 1984 into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & the Arts. Colloquially known as "The Castle on the Hill," the building that once housed Music & Art is located in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, in the campus of the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

across the street from St. Nicholas Park. The building now houses the A. Philip Randolph Campus High School, a

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

of the

New York City Department of Education The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (more commonly known as New York City Publ ...

History

New York City Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia started the high school in 1936, an event he described as "the most hopeful accomplishment" of his administration.Steigman, Benjamin: ''Accent on Talent -- New York's High School of Music & Art.'' Wayne State University Press, 1984 LCCN 64-13873. As the mayor of New York City he wanted to establish a public school in which students could hone their talents in music, art and the performing arts. Music & Art was made up of three departments: Art, Instrumental Music, and Vocal Music. It was a

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

school, meant to draw talented students from all boroughs. In 1948, a sister school – the High School of Performing Arts – was created in an effort to harness students' talents in dance. Future '' Mad'' magazine contributors Al Jaffee,

Will Elder William Elder (born Wolf William Eisenberg; September 22, 1921 – May 15, 2008) was an American illustrator and comic book artist who worked in numerous areas of commercial art but is best known for a frantically funny cartoon style that helped ...

Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman (; October 3, 1924 – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and editor. His best-known work includes writing and editing the parodic comic book ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' from 1952 until 1956, and writing the ...

John Severin John Powers Severin (; December 26, 1921 – February 12, 2012) was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics '' Two-Fisted Tales'' and ''Frontline Combat''; for Marvel Comics, e ...

, and Al Feldstein all attended Music & Art together in the 1930s.Mark Evanier, ''Mad Art'', Watson-Guptill Publications, 2002, . Comic book artists

Ross Andru Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21. In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan (comics), T ...

and Mike Esposito, did as well, though they were slightly younger than Jaffee and the rest. R. O. Blechman,

Milton Glaser Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929June 26, 2020) was an American graphic designer, recognized for his designs, including the I Love New York logo; a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan; the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, Brooklyn Brewery; and his ...

, Ed Sorel,Grimes, William
"Art; The Gripes of Wrath: 25 Years of Edward Sorel"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. (May 16, 1993). and Reynold Ruffins – three of the four co-founders of the design firm Push Pin Studios – were M&A students in the 1940s. Other M&A graduates from the 1940s include

Bess Myerson Bess Myerson (July 16, 1924 – December 14, 2014) was an American politician, model, and television actress who in 1945 became the first Jewish Miss America. Her achievement, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, was seen as an affirmation of th ...

Allan Kaprow Allan Kaprow (August 23, 1927 – April 5, 2006) was an American performance artist, installation artist, painter, and assemblagist . He helped to develop the " Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. ...

, and Hal Linden. Notable graduates from the 1950s included

Gloria Davy Gloria Davy (March 29, 1931 – November 28, 2012) was a Swiss soprano of American birth who had an active international career in operas and concerts from the 1950s through the 1980s. A spinto soprano, she was widely acclaimed for her portraya ...

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll ( ; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous nominations and awards for her stage and screen performances, incl ...

, Susan Stamberg, Jonathan Tunick, Billy Dee Williams,

Peter Yarrow Peter Yarrow (May 31, 1938 – January 7, 2025) was an American singer and songwriter who found fame as a member of the 1960s folk music, folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary along with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers. Yarrow co-wrote (with Lenny Lipton ...

, Tony Roberts, James Burrows, Erica Jong, Felix Pappalardi, and Jeremy J. Shapiro. Notable M&A graduates from the 1960s include

Peter Hyams Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing the 1977 conspiracy thriller film ''Capricorn One'' (which he also wrote), the 1981 science fiction-thriller ''Outland (film), Outl ...

, Steven Bochco, Robbie Conal, Graham Diamond, Maira Kalman,Master of the Month: Maira Kalman
from ''IllustrationFriday.com'' Bob Mankoff,Mankoff, Robert
"Comics: Meet the Artist," (transcript)
''Washington Post'' (November 5, 2004). Diane Noomin,Noomin profile
, UF Conference on Comics & Graphic Novels 2003: Underground(s)].

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. Retrieved on 2008-01-30. and

Margot Adler Margot Susanna Adler (April 16, 1946 – July 28, 2014) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She worked as a correspondent for National Public Radio for 35 years, became bureau chief of the New York office, and could be heard frequen ...

; while notable graduates from the 1970s include musicians

Paul Stanley Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who was the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss from the band's inception in 1973 to their retireme ...

"Nicki Minaj Forbidden From Meeting Students at Her Old High School: "I Guess I'm Not Good Enough"
''

E! Online E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies. ...

'', September 14, 2014. and Kenny Washington. Notable M&A grads from the 1980s include writers

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His Debut novel, first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, ...

Reed Tucker
"Fame’s Honor Roll"
''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

'', September 20, 2009. and Lynn Nottage, and hip-hop musicians

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...

Merger with Performing Arts

As per Mayor LaGuardia's vision, Music & Art and Performing Arts merged on paper in 1961 and were to be combined in one building. However, this took many years and it was not until 1984 that the sister schools were merged into a new school, the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, at a new building designed by

Eduardo Catalano Eduardo Fernando Catalano (December 19, 1917 – January 28, 2010) was an Argentine architect. Life and career Born in Buenos Aires, Catalano went to the United States on a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Graduate ...

in the Lincoln Square area of Manhattan. The

Board of Education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

posthumously honored Mayor LaGuardia by naming the new building after him.

Architectural significance

The 1924

gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

building was designed by

William H. Gompert William H. Gompert (1875 -1946) was the Architect and Superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education. According to researc
published by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Gompert was educated at Adel ...

, Architect & Superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education, to house the New York Training School for Teachers. The Training School became the New York Teachers Training College from 1931 to 1933. That school was abolished during

the Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

when there was a surplus of teachers for the city's school system, and Mayor LaGuardia used the opportunity to create the High School of Music & Art. Architecturally, the building blends in with the older gothic revival buildings of the City College campus, designed by architect

George B. Post George Browne Post (December15, 1837November28, 1913) was an American architect trained in the Beaux-Arts tradition. Active from 1869 almost until his death, he was recognized as a master of several contemporary American architectural genres, an ...

around 1900 to create a setting that came to be known as "the poor man's

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

." Music & Art students and graduates often referred to the building as "The Castle on the hill," a reference to the design of its gothic towers, and the decorative gargoyles done in a quirky and playful style that the Landmarks Commission report describes as "finials in the shape of creatures bearing shields." The tower rooms have dramatic acoustics, which Music & Art used as choral practice rooms. The large gymnasium features large Tudor-arch-shaped windows on two sides that at certain times during the day stream sunlight into the room. The auditorium has excellent acoustics, and features diamond-shaped amber windows that during daylight cast a warm glow on its dark wood interior. The iron ends of the auditorium seats have a casting with an image of the Tudor window arches in the gymnasium. The building won status as a landmark by the

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the Government of New York City, New York City agency charged with administering the city's Historic preservation, Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting Ne ...

in 1997. According to the Landmark Commission report, this was not an expensive building for its time, and many of the structural components (like the staircase bracings in the stairwell) were left exposed to save money. Yet much thought went into humanizing the space and creating a good environment for learning, with plenty of natural light and air, expansive collaborative spaces, and much playful decoration thrown in for good measure:

Notable alumni

Note: students who graduated after 1984 are considered graduates of

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, often referred to simply as LaGuardia or "LaG", is a public High school (North America), high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, near Lincoln ...

, not Music & Art. *

(1964), radio journalist *

(c. 1940),Esposito, Mike, in Additional, June 16, 2012. comic book artist *

Eleanor Antin Eleanor Antin (née Fineman; February 27, 1935) is an American performance artist, film-maker, installation artist, conceptual artist, feminist artist, and university professor. Early life and education Eleanor Fineman was born in the Bronx o ...

(1952), artist * Louis Abolafia (1958), artist, presidential candidate, and countercultural figure * Stanley Aronowitz, academic and activist * Ray Billingsley (c. 1974) – cartoonist, creator of the syndicated comic strip ''

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

'' * R. O. Blechman (c. 1948), animator, illustrator, children's-book author, and cartoonist * Steven Bochco (1961), TV producer & writer * Frank Bolle, cartoonist * Nancy Brooks Brody (1980), artist * Steven Brower (1970), designer and author * James Burrows (1958), director * Harriet Camen (1946), ceramics artist *

(1953), singer * Jerome Charyn (1955), novelist *

Kvitka Cisyk Kvitka Cisyk (April 4, 1953The Myth of Kvitka
The Ukrainian Week (11 April 2013) – March 29, 199 ...

(1970), singer *

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

(1962), jazz drummer * Gil Coggins, jazz pianist and composer *

Sal Cuevas Salvador "Sal" Cuevas (June 16, 1955 – April 9, 2017) was an American salsa bassist known for his association with the Fania All-Stars from 1978 to 1985. Although he played the upright bass, he was one of the most popular electric bassists ...

(1972), bassist *

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born on August 28, 1928, in New York City, United States, and he received piano lessons from the age of five. Feather, ...

, jazz pianist * Robbie Conal (1961), artist *

(1951), operatic soprano * Gemze de Lappe (1939), dancer * Graham Diamond (1963), speculative fiction writer *

(1940), cartoonist * Alvin Epstein (1943), actor and director * Mike Esposito (c. 1940), comic book artist *

Morton Feldman Morton Feldman (January 12, 1926 – September 3, 1987) was an American composer. A major figure in 20th-century classical music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, a development associated with the experimental New York School o ...

, composer * Al Feldstein, cartoonist and editor * Bela Fleck (1976) banjo player * Charles Fox (1958) composer * Dennis Francis ( 1974), comic book artist and illustrator * Peter Freeman, multi-instrumentalist, bassist and music composer * Gerald Fried, composer, conductor, and oboist * Dave Gantz (c. 1939), cartoonist * Lenora Garfinkel (1930-2020), architect *

(1947), designer * Bernie Glow (1942), trumpet player *

Johnny Dorelli Giorgio Guidi (born 20 February 1937), known professionally as Johnny Dorelli, is an Italian actor, singer and television host. Early life Giorgio Guidi was born in Meda, Lombardy, Italy. In 1946, he moved with his family to New York City, ...

(1937), singer, actor, pianist * Andy González (1968), bassist * Jerry González (1967), bandleader, trumpeter *

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...

(~1966), screenwriter, actor, director, composer * Charles GwathmeyBERNSTEIN, FRED A
"Charles Gwathmey, Architect Loyal to Aesthetics of High Modernism, Dies at 71,"
''New York Times'' (AUG. 4, 2009). (1956), architect * Larry Harlow (musician) (1957), pianist, composer *

(1960), director * Chris Iijima, activist, lawyer and member of Yellow Pearl * Al Jaffee (1940), cartoonist * Erica Jong (1959), author * Maira Kalman (1967), illustrator, writer, artist, and designer *

Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, record producer and musician. Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was born in ...

(1965), composer * Susan Kamil, book editor and publisher *

(1945), painter and performance artist * Amy A. Kass, educator and anthologist * Everett Raymond Kinstler, artist, portrait painter * James Howard Kunstler (1966), author, social critic *

(1941), cartoonist, creator of '' Mad Magazine'' *

Paul Lansky Paul Lansky (born June 18, 1944, in New York City) is an American composer. Biography Paul Lansky (born 1944) is an American composer. He was educated at Manhattan's High School of Music and Art, Queens College and Princeton University, studyi ...

(1961), composer * Michael Lax (1947), industrial designer *

(1982), author *

Shari Lewis Shari Lewis (born Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz; January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998) was a Peabody awards, Peabody-winning American Ventriloquism, ventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, a ...

(née Sonia Phyllis Hurwitz) (c. 1951) actress, puppeteer * Hal Linden (1948), actor * Bob Mankoff (1962), cartoonist and long-time ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine cartoon editor * Ray Marcano, medical reporter and music critic * William A. Moses, real estate developer *

(1941), actress and politician * Diane Noomin (c. 1964), cartoonist * Lynn Nottage (1982), playwright *

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...

(née Nigro), (1965), singer/songwriter * Frank J. Oteri (1981), composer and music journalist * Brock Peters, actor * Margaret Ponce Israel, painter and ceramist * Nancy B. Reich musicologist *

(1983), hip-hop musician * Joshua Rifkin (1961), conductor and musicologist * Tony Roberts (1957), actor * Arlen Roth (1969) Guitarist, author, singer * Reynold Ruffins (1948), designer * Sandi Russell, jazz singer and writer * Bernard Safran (1939), illustrator, artist * Ed Seeman cartoonist, cinematographer, photographer, abstract artist, movie director *

(1940), cartoonist * Jeremy J. Shapiro (1957), critical theorist * Joel Shatzky (), writer and literary professor * Ed Sorel (), illustrator and cartoonist * Eulalie Spence (1894-1981), writer, teacher, director, actress and playwright * Susan Stamberg (1955), radio journalist *

(1970), musician *

Jeremy Steig Jeremy Steig (September 23, 1942 – April 13, 2016)Peter Keepnews, "Jeremy ...

(1960), improvising flutist * Daniel Stern (1946), writer, musician * Steve Stiles (c. 1960), cartoonist *

Susan Strasberg Susan Elizabeth Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Thought to be the next Audrey Hepburn, Hepburn-type Ingénue, ingenue, she was nominated for a Tony Award at age 18, playing the ti ...

(1956), actress * Beth Ames Swartz, artist * Allen Swift (1924–2010), actor, writer and magician, best known as a voiceover artist who voiced characters Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on the ''Underdog'' cartoon show *

Richard Taruskin Richard Filler Taruskin (April 2, 1945 – July 1, 2022) was an American musicologist and music critic who was among the leading and most prominent music historians of his generation. The breadth of his scrutiny into source material as well as ...

(1961), music historian * Jonathan Tunick (1954), composer and orchestrator, EGOT recipient *

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mus ...

(1969), Latin jazz flutist * Daniel Waitzman (1961), flutist and composer * Kenny Washington (1976), jazz musician * Billy Dee Williams (1955), actor *

(1955), singer/songwriter * Sherman Yellen (1949), playwright, memoirist *

Kristi Zea Kristina Gwyn Zea (born October 24, 1948) is an American production designer, costume designer, art director, director and producer in film and television. Born and educated in New York City, she discovered she had a talent for design while worki ...

(1966), production designer

References

External links

Website of the Alumni & Friends
of LaGuardia High School of Music & the Arts
1977 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Report
on the old High School of Music & Art Building that now houses the A. Philip Randolph Campus High School (pdf-format file).
MyCastleTreasures.com
a tribute to the alumni of the High School of Music and Art {{DEFAULTSORT:High School Of Music and Art, The High School of Music and Art Defunct high schools in Manhattan Music schools in New York City Alternative schools in the United States 1936 establishments in New York City * New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan 1984 disestablishments in New York City Educational institutions disestablished in 1984