Recently, a building at a Syosset, Long Island, New York High School for the Arts was named after BILLY JOEL's late mother, Rosalind. BILLY JOEL, a Long Island, N.Y. native, attended the ceremony on December 19, 2017, for the newly dedicated building, Rosalind Joel Conservatory for Music and Theater. Students performed and chatted with the legendary singer/songwriter and were impressed. (These students were not even born during Billy Joel's hey-day) BILLY JOEL says his mother, Rosalind, who died in 2014, encouraged his passion for music by paying for his piano lessons and was always supportive of his dream. BILLY JOEL saved the Syosset school from closure by pledging 1.5 million dollars to the school for it to remain open and functional. (The school had been facing a decrease in enrollment and tuition revenue over the years) BILLY JOEL says his decision to pledge was because he would not be the celebrated musician he his today, if not for the guidance of his music teachers and instruments that were available to him, when he was young! He hopes to give the same opportunity to the young Long Island, New York music artists of today!
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