Knight Ridder Newspapers

Syracuse University is receiving a $320,000 gift from Grammy winner Billy Joel to help aspiring musicians.

Syracuse’s Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts was one of seven East Coast schools chosen by Joel to receive seed money, musical scholarships and endowments as part of his recently launched music education initiative, said Carole Brzozowski, the college’s dean.

Syracuse will use the money to establish four Billy Joel Fellowships in Composition and hopes to enroll the first two students next fall, Brzozowski said. The money will cover full tuition for the two-year master’s program, provide some support money for each student, and, at the end of their studies, possibly help pay for either a high-level album with their music or a concert in a prominent place, Brzozowski said.

Joel also made grants to the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester; New York University; the Juilliard School; State University of New York at Purchase; New England Conservatory; and Tanglewood Music Center, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Academy for Advanced Musical Study.

Jones donates her Emmy dress

Star Jones is donating the dress off her back from the Emmy Awards to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

Jones wore an amethyst velvet gown by Marc Bauer valued at $3,000 while hosting red-carpet coverage for E! Entertainment Television at Sunday’s awards ceremonies.

She donated the dress to the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, which will auction off outfits worn by celebrities at the Emmys and give the proceeds to hurricane victims.

“There is no better way to allow your clothes to keep on giving you pleasure than to share them with someone else,” Jones said. “The families that were affected by Hurricane Katrina need our help.”

‘Super Sizemore’ a real-life struggle

Tom Sizemore has a new career: reality star.

The troubled “Saving Private Ryan” actor is working on a new show called “Super Sizemore,” which follows his numerous dates in court, his battle to become sober, and his recent role as a father to twin boys.

The project is being shopped to networks, and Sizemore, 44, has been shooting footage for the last two years.

During that time, Sizemore has had numerous scuffles with the law. Last week he was ordered by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to extend his stay in a live-in drug-treatment center by a month. Sizemore entered the facility in July, for violating his probation for possession of methamphetamine by using a prosthetic penis to try to fake a drug test.