Herbert Morrison receives musical instruments

The Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, became the beneficiaries of a new set of musical instruments, after for copping second place in the 2016 staging of the Jamaica Best School Band Competition.

The items were handed over by the competition’s creative producer Rayven Amani to the institution on Monday.   Among the musical-items donated were trumpets, flutes and clarinets, which Amani said are presented to the top three schools in the competition.  

“This is just one way of saying congratulations to Herbert Morrison High band that performed well in the competition,” said Amani.

She said she would be visiting first place winners, the Alpha Boys School (now Alpha Institute) and St. Andrew Technical High, which tied with Herbert Morrison for second place, to present their share of the prizes.

“It is very important to have young people engaged in music, because it helps increase brain function, thereby leading to academic progress. Also, learning to play an instrument takes dedication and nurtures discipline, plus being in a band improves communication skills,” she added.

Carl Matthews, Herbert Morrison High’s Band Director, said that he was extremely proud of the band, because they only had a little over two months to prepare.

“We decided to practice mainly every Saturday like from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. We reached out to some past students for ideas and they helped with equipment so we could practice and participate. They also aided with financing our trip to Kingston,” Matthews explained.

He said that this was the school’s second time entering the competition and with the help of these new instruments, the school band will be a force to be reckoned with in future competitions.

“We have been performing in music competitions for 35 years and appreciate the fact that the organizers delivered, and I encouraged them to continue to help develop Jamaica’s music,” Matthews started.  

The Jamaica Best School Band Competition featured more than 12 high schools from across the island, who vied for top honours in the month-long staging that ended in April.