PRAISE FOR Ned Corman and Now s the Time If this book captures any of the musical joy and passion that Ned Corman and I experienced over the years, it should be quite a read. Chuck Mangione Ned Corman s heart beats music, and his soul sings it. He is music s champion. Libby Larsen I am happy that I got to know Ned Corman . . . early in my own career and that I had the chance to work with him. Now s the Time reminds me of how formative those experiences were for me, and gives many more people the opportunity to experience the thinking and good humor of a dedicated musician and educator. His voice comes through as irreverently as ever, making Now s the Time an irresistible addition to the shelf of timely books on learning and life. Theodore Wiprud, The New York Philharmonic Duke Ellington said there were two kinds of music: good music and the other kind. . . . I ve never met a person with as much enthusiasm, curiosity, and practical knowledge of good music as my old friend Ned Corman. All this and a delicious sense of humor, too. Paquito D Rivera Almost everyone has a favorite teacher. For thousands of New Yorkers during the second half of the twentieth century, it was Ned Corman. With his trademark long hair and hip elocution, Ned wasn t your usual high school band director. Nor was he a card-carrying hippie. Students gravitated to him, and he dug them right back. Along the way, some great music was made. Ned has always lived in parallel universes. After graduating from the world-famous Eastman School of Music and later Penn State, he went on the road with Chuck Mangione, Fred Waring, and a touring production of Half of Sixpence, as well as co-led a rock-and-roll horn band. Ned also worked the classical side of the tracks, spending forty years with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as an extra and a sometime soloist, doing pit work, and teaching privately. More often than not, he was as good as his last job. While teaching music in the Rochester suburb of Penfield, Ned saw the creative possibilities of getting students together with professional musicians. He launched the Penfield Music Commission Project, followed by The Commission Project. The impact of these projects led to his involvement with Swing n Jazz, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester Independent Music Festival, and Greentopia. Both an autobiography and part how-to manual for aspiring arts leaders, Now s the Time charts Ned s hard-won success as a musician, teacher, and arts leader. It also underscores the importance of culture, commerce, and community, and how together, they can make the world a better place. Ned Corman is a former musician and teacher in Rochester, New York, who founded the Penfield Music Commission Project and The Commission Project, both composer-service organizations that have fostered creativity between thousands of students and professional musicians across the country. An experienced festival planner, he has worked on Swing 'n Jazz, the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester Independent Music Festival, and Greentopia. Rob Enslin is a writer, musician, and artist who works in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University.