Fase 4: Aclimatación

The Alpha Boys‟ School has served as an important instrumental institution of music learning in Jamaica for over a century. Musicians who attended Alpha Boys‟ School are primarily instrumentalists (trumpet, trombone, saxophone, horn etc.) Graduates of Alpha have gone on to become music teachers in Jamaican schools, conductors of various wind bands, conductors of orchestras internationally and college music professors. The school‟s influence on Jamaica‟s Music education is far reaching and profound. Alpha is Jamaica‟s leading institution of brass band (instrumental) music teaching. Alpha is also the first school institution of any kind in Jamaica to offer brass band music teaching as a part of the school‟s education. Over the years Alpha has been known by a variety of names, which characterize the influence of the school's music program. Keith Brown, a noted Jamaican journalist, refers to Alpha as the “bulwark of

Jamaica‟s music industry” and Clyde McKenzie calls Alpha Boys‟ Band “the cornerstone of Jamaica‟s music.” Others have referred to Alpha as “the cradle of Jamaica‟s musicians,” “Jamaica‟s Nursery for Brass Band Music”240

and was called by legendary Jamaican Big Band leader, Sonny Bradshaw, “the school of music” in Jamaica when Jamaica had not yet opened up a formal music school.

The Alpha Boys‟ School and home is a Catholic Institution for boys located in Kingston. Alpha was founded on May 1, 1880 by a woman named Justina (Jessie) Ripoll who purchased the forty-three acre plot of land on South Camp Road for a sum of £800.241 She took up residence at this location with one orphan girl in a small five room house that became known as the Alpha Cottage. The Alpha cottage has provided safe haven for thousands of Jamaica‟s children for the past 126 years.242 The school started out of a concern for homeless and abandoned children by missionaries of the Catholic Church. The missionaries wanted to provide a place for them to live and to gain an education. These missionaries included Father Frederick Hathaway, S.J., Jessie Ripoll, Josephine Ximenes, Louis Dugiol and Anne Llado. Frederick Hathaway died before the actual opening of the school that was to be called Alpha and so Sisters Ripoll, Ximenes, Dugiol and Llado were the original staff members of the school. The school accepted both girls and boys and to this day has a complex of schools which educate boys and girls from Kindergarten to high school level. In the early years of the school‟s existence, it depended upon donations of food and clothing from the public, provisions from the school‟s garden and support from benefactors, as well as assistance from volunteer teachers.243 As

240

Richards-Mayo, The Alpha Boys’ School and Home. 241 _{Osborne, History of the Catholic Church in Jamaica.} 242 _{Richards-Mayo, The Alpha Boys’ School and Home.} 243 _Ibid.

enrollment grew, the Sisters sought other means of supplementing the school‟s income. The school accepted its first group of boys in 1884 marking the beginning of what would eventually be the Alpha Boys‟ School.

Alpha‟s music program began in 1893 with the establishment of the school‟s drum and fife corps.244 A gift of brass instruments from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Jamaica was given to the school in 1908 and with that the school established the Alpha Boys‟ Brass Band.245

One of Jamaica‟s oldest music teaching institutions, Alpha has been recognized for being instrumental in the production of Jamaica‟s music throughout the years. Alpha Boys‟ music program was the primary force behind the Jamaican popular music explosion in the 1960‟s and 70‟s.246

The Daily

Gleaner has an article which says “Alpha has produced more great musicians than any other

institution in Jamaica in the last century or so.”247

Even though Alpha Boys‟ School taught a general school curriculum, for most, music had become the focal point of their experience at school. Music had opened up many doors for development for many Alpha graduates. The Alpha Boys‟ School in Jamaica is known primarily for music. All the boys live on the premises of Alpha. In an interview with Derrick Stewart, a former Alpha student, conducted by Sandra Richards- Mayo, he recalls what a typical day in the life of an Alpha student in the band would be:

You know you get up in the morning, you say prayers, you make up your bed and you go to band practice. And eight, eight thirty is breakfast time, prayer, devotion and then you are off to school…three thirty you have band practice until five. Five is supper. After supper is recreation, sports and thing. Six thirty the bell ring

244

Justin Whyte, “Alpha Boys‟ Band Making a Difference.” Daily Gleaner, Sept 9 2009. 245 _Ibid.

246 _{Elena Oumano, “Music is Key at Alpha,” Billboard Vol. 111 Issue 29 (July 1999).} 247 _{Richards-Mayo, The Alpha Boys’ School and Home.}

and you know what it is, it‟s night now. And Monday to Friday it‟s like that religiously for a person in the band.248

There are many famous Jamaican and international musicians that are past students of Alpha. Some of these include: the four founding members of the Skatalites (Tommy McCook, Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, Lester Sterling and John Moore). Others are Cedric Brooks, Rico Rodriguez, Theophilus Beckford, Leroy „Horsemouth‟ Wallace and Leroy Smart.

All these musicians have formed an integral part of Jamaica‟s popular music. There are also students who have become music teachers and served in other areas of academia. Some names from Alpha in music education and ensemble conducting include Ian Hird (Former Ardenne High School music teacher), Shaun Hird (conductor of Jamaica Military Band) and Dr. Lester Thompson (first person of African descent to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra).

Alpha‟s influence on the development of music education in Jamaica is obvious. When music had not formally been introduced in the public schools in Jamaica, music was already a part of the curriculum at Alpha. Students at Alpha learn music reading as well as playing by ear. Many of Jamaica‟s music teachers have their training at Alpha and some did not get any other type of training in tertiary music institutions in Jamaica. Some past Alpha students have gone on to study at the Royal College of Music and have returned home to be of service to the country.

During the 1960‟s when Ska music had emerged as Jamaica‟s first form of popular music, it was Alpha students who were at the forefront of the playing of this genre. Many students played as backing band members for the various Ska artists that existed during this period. The most famous Ska band to-date is The Skatalites whose founding members are all past Alpha students. The most famous Big Band in Jamaica, The Sonny Bradshaw Band, has

248 _Ibid.

members who are primarily former Alpha students. Most of the instrumental music education that took place in Jamaica over the last century has taken place at Alpha Boys School.