The March for Music Education Exchange consisted of two parts. First, Alpha Institute hosted music educators from the USA who led workshops all the music students and a performance lab with the Alpha Boys Band. During the second half of the exchange, held March 3-8, Alpha students traveled to the United States for the first time with their instructor. This daily blog chronicles five days of high school, college and university music classes, band rehearsals and performances in the USA. Although they were new to these schools, Alpha was treated like family everywhere and everyday was special…
DAY 3. CANTON HIGH SCHOOL
As part of the March for Music Education Exchange programme, Alpha students and their instructor, Mr Samuels, spent time with four Canton High School music classes: music technology, orchestra, concert band and Jazz ensemble. Led by Canton Music Director, Mr Brian Thomas, the ensembles had a wide repertoire and individual chops. In each class, Jamaican music weaved in and out with the class repertoire. The vibe was amazing. There was no Alpha. There was no Canton. They were all musicians….
DAY 2 – PERFORMANCE AT LA FABRICA
The first full day in Boston included an evening performance with Kings Highway for The Reggae Takeova at La Fabrica. Although it was their first time in Boston, the performance at La Fabrica was not the first time the Alpha students and teacher from Jamaica performed with Kings Highway. Indeed, just a few weeks before, three members of Kings Highway had been in Kingston leading music workshops during the first half of the exchange. “It was a very engaging experience,” Alpha’s senior music instructor said. “The musicians expressed themselves well through improvisational language and feel.”
DAY 2 – BERKLEE COLLEGE
Our friends and partners from Kings Highway band made it possible for Alpha to visit a variety of classes at Berklee College, from augmented reality to Pro Tools to Jazz Theory to songwriting and a Red Hot Chili Peppers masterclass.
DAY 1 – REHEARSAL
Alpha arrived in Boston at 5pm. By 8pm, Alpha was rehearsing with Kings Highway, a 10-piece Caribbean Jazz outfit including university, college and high school music instructors, Berklee College grads and touring musicians. The rehearsal was held in a rehearsal room on Berklee’s campus. Indeed, the March for Music Education places special focus on the transition from school to work and the rehearsal set the tone for the week…
WATCH THE THREE VIDEOS BELOW FOR THE BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE…
The Alpha Institute is a non-profit vocational school for at risk youth in Kingston, Jamaica. The 140-year old institution is operated by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic order of nuns, and provides social welfare, academic and vocational training to 70 day students. Click here to learn how you can get involved at Alpha > www.alphaboysschool.org/get-involved.
