American Friends of Jamaica sponsors music workshops

The mood was festive at the Seminar Room of the Edna Manley College recently. A cheerful group of students, teachers and administrators had gathered to witness the ceremony honouring 15 recipients of certificates in level-one training in the recorder, hand-drumming and guitar teaching. The workshops were organised by Rosina Christina Moder, recorder specialist and the executive director of the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF)

Dubbed the 'MUJF Professional Music Development for Basic & Primary School Teachers Initiative', this ambitious programme was made possible by the sponsorship of the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ).

Moder, herself a trained early childhood music educator, began the ceremony by gratefully acknowledging the AFJ grant that has created opportunities for teachers in the field to participate in continuous training on the basic instruments: recorder, percussion and guitar. She noted that basic and primary school teachers from as far as St Ann and St Catherine, as well as Kingston and St Andrew, all enthusiastically participated in weekly sessions to strengthen their knowledge of the basic technique of the instruments, as well as their integration into the classroom setting.

Moder acknowledged the collaboration with the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and thanked the principal, Nicholeen DeGrasse-Johnson, who was in attendance. Special thanks were given to Horace Prince, who was instrumental in sourcing the donation of hundreds of recorders to the schools that participated in the workshop (facilitated by Food For The Poor), and Early Childhood Commission representative, Tracy-Ann Morgan-Smith.

Performances

Before the certificates were handed out, the workshop graduates performed a variety of pieces demonstrating their newly found skills and understanding of the instruments. One such piece was a fascinating reimagining of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', performed on recorders and accompanied by a dancehall beat on the conga drums. This, unlikely, but welcomed twist was a result of percussion lecturer Ouida Lewis' vivid imagination.

Another piece was a grave rendition of the old nursery rhyme 'Ring a' Roses', the historic origin during the plague explained by a workshop participant before its performance. In this piece, the guitar was used to sonorous dramatic effect, inspired by the guitar lecturer Shawn Richards.

After the heartening display of musical energy, MUJF board member and prominent vocalist Claudja Barry delivered inspirational comments on the importance of empowering the youth through songs with positive messages.

AFJ board member Dr Laura Tanna brought congratulations from the AFJ and spoke of her arrival 40 years ago in Jamaica, and close relationships with the late Dr Olive Lewin and her associate Hazel Ramsay McClune, with whom she journeyed around the island documenting the breathtakingly wide variety of oral narratives in which folk music is central. After these remarks, Claudja Barry, Dr Tanna and Prince bequeathed the certificates to the proud graduates of the programme.

Representatives of the graduates then expressed their profound gratitude at the opportunity to further their knowledge, and surprised the lecturers with tender tokens of their appreciation.

Refreshments were served to the audience, which included family members of the graduates, as well as several representatives of the schools that participated in the workshop. Fundraising to ensure that this progressive workshop becomes an annual initiative is now in progress.