GHCDS Musicians Experience Jazz at the Castle

Over the winter break, Ms. Jessica Parker White Education Coordinator from the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts, invited 6 of our top musicians at GHCDS to get a behind the scenes look at famous award-winning musicians setting up and rehearsing for a weekend of performances known as Jazz at the Castle.  The Center provided us with a taxi shared by Woodson Junior High students and later, with a delicious lunch.  After listening to each artist perform along with some local musicians such as Steven Katz, students from all schools including Central High School, Complex and Woodson were able to converse as each performer as each  performer moved from table to table. This setting helped our students talk more intimately providing them with an opportunity to ask questions and develop relationships that could continue on social networks. Students were encouraged to seek these artists out as mentors in the future should they need assistance in developing their own careers in music. Charu Suri an award winning pianist and composer sat at our school’s round table and Joanie Leeds, a Grammy award-winning artist for her 2020 album entitled All the Ladies.

After a tour of the castle, GHCDS students returned to the great hall. Noёl Bridgman got permission to play the baby grand piano and Sera Ehmann, Kayla Morton and Amalie-Leah Figueroa  joined in singing.  The sound technician was impressed and recorded some of their singing.  This led other schools to share their impressive voices too.  For many, the ride home was even more fun and inspiring  because the Woodson students and our GHCDS students sang many popular songs together all the way back to school.