Pharrell Williams Named NYU Artist In Residence

Things are about to get “Happy” at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Grammy-winning singer, rapper and producer Pharrell Williams has been named artist in residence at the prestigious arts school.

The residency will kick off with a career retrospective at Town Hall in midtown Manhattan on Oct. 26. The event will be moderated by NYU music professor and NPR Music host Jason King. The retrospective is free for Tisch students, faculty and staff.

Williams is “honored and excited” to have the opportunity to spend time with Tisch students, he said in a statement.

Williams, whose song “Happy” was Billboard's number one single for 2014, said the students are “among the young minds who will change this world by means of their creativity.”

Students were thrilled by the announcement.

“Having artists like him here is another way the school is a resource for us,” said Rachel Epstein, 19, a sophomore film and TV major.

Some cited his hit song as inspiration.

“All of his work is so universal, it speaks to such a broad audience,” said Neil Thekdi, 19, a sophomore film and TV major.

“If you look at his song ‘Happy,’ that's something we can all empathize with and have a response to.”

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