A number of local musicians received the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the GRAMMY Museum’s Music Revolution programme held at the Anguilla Community College. The programme, which ran from July 11th- 15th was a partnership between the Anguilla Music Academy (AMA), Sangreal Foundation and GRAMMY Museum. The Anguilla Community College facilitated the programme.
The programme was primarily run by Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum, Bob Santelli, and a team of musicians who were GRAMMY winners and/ or nominees themselves. The programme gave some of most creative young musicians the opportunity to engage in musical discourse and performance with other talented youth. It engaged students in music history, theory and composition sessions and helped them form ensembles with their fellow classmates. The Museum also provided new equipment for the students at the AMA. Mr. Santelli noted that the programme was designed to teach children how to be creative. He said: “It’s a project that allows kids to understand the details of what makes a great song great”. They also recorded songs they wrote at the camp.
The programme which is well established across the United States of America has, for the first time, expanded outside of the U.S. Mr. Santelli said the goal of the class was that “someday, what we teach these kids today, at least one person in the class is a future GRAMMY winner”. The programme, usually a month long, in its pilot stage, ran for a week in Anguilla given that it is the first country outside of the US to carry the programme. Commenting on the future of the programme, Mr. Santelli said: “This time because it’s the first time ever that we’re doing it outside of America, it’s just a week long. This is a pilot programme just to get a feel of the kids’ liking and what we can get accomplished here. Next year will be two weeks long, and the third year back will be an entire month”. It is hoped that Anguilla can serve as a hub for the Caribbean as the programme expands to other parts of the world.
The Anguilla Music Academy was the brainchild of Darius James, band leader, drummer and vocalist of the True Intentions band. Darius, a native of Dominica, said the idea for the academy came to him after he faced difficulties and several hurdles as he explored other aspects of music, other than singing and drumming. He noted: “I had this dream of owning a professional studio. It really came alive when I visited New Jersey to record. When I looked back at all of the photos, I was always looking at the mixer board. I started moving towards that [music production & engineering]”. He said it was then he decided to further his studies in music production and engineering. However, after facing several hurdles, one being that he was not an American citizen. He said, given all these challenges, it was this that led him to wonder “how many kids have these same challenges”.
As faith would have it, one evening, while performing at Le Blue Villa with his band, Darius met Mr. Brian Sheth who is the co-founder (along with his wife, Adria) of the Sangreal Foundation. Through conversation with Mr. Sheth he was asked what his dream for Anguilla was. It was then he laid out his vision of the Anguilla Music Academy. Darius then stayed in contact with the Sheths and through their Foundation, which endeavors to support those whose quest involves educational and environmental initiatives, he began to establish the AMA.
Joe Watson, a representative of the Foundation said it was Darius’ philanthropic and tenacious spirit that led to Brian and Adria believing in his idea. He noted that arrangements were then made through the Foundation for Bob Santelli to visit Anguilla and meet with Darius, and to determine the potential of the GRAMMY Museum’s Music Revolution Programme in Anguilla. Subsequently, they visited Anguilla, a year prior to the launch of the programme, to get a feel of Anguilla and meet with Darius as well as other government officials. “We could have gone to other islands but we came here because of the Anguilla Music Academy and Darius. He is very much a part of this and will be the person who will run the programme in future years…Last year I came with Joe and met Darius. I knew right there and then he was the one to be one of the teachers and take care of the programme when I’m gone”, Mr. Santelli explained.
The students will perform their songs at the CuisinArt Resort & Spa on Friday July, 15th.
It is hoped that the AMA will be housed at the Anguilla Community College and, as it expands, eventually have a home of its own.
