KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Alpha School of Music is offering an associate degree in music performance, which it says is the first of its kind in Jamaica.

Students will be equipped to perform in tour bands, in hotels or on cruise ships, or focus on music production or deejaying, among other areas, organisers say.

“Students will focus on either music performance or music production. Music performance is playing music in a band setting, while music production will focus on creating music whether with software, digital instruments, phone apps, deejaying or studio techniques,” said Gay Magnus, consultant for the Kingston-based institution.

She was speaking at the Alpha School of Music’s open house on Monday, July 5.

The associate degree will take two years to complete, but students may be asked to do one or two pre-qualifying years, depending on their level of music experience. Entry requirements include passes in Math and English in the CSEC or City and Guilds. Students will also have to audition playing two genres of music with their primary instrument.

The tuition fee is $150,000 per year. Applications for the first cohort which will number about 20 students will close on July 16.

Cleon Samuels, senior music instructor at Alpha, said in its initial phase the programme will be full-time for males only, aged 16 to 25 years old.

Taking the audience on a virtual tour of the facilities Samuels noted, “the Alpha School of Music is equipped with recording studios, practice and lecture rooms, ensemble performance rooms and music software including Pro Tools, Reason and Sibelius”.

Courses to be offered include music theory and analysis; ensemble classes including, wind, percussion and guitar, ear training, vocal training, audio system design, Jamaican music history western music history, public performance in reggae, rocksteady and dancehall, jazz improvisation, digital ensemble, history and operation of the Jamaican sound system and radio techniques.

“Assessment exams will be how well you can perform in front of a live audience,” Magnus said.

The Alpha School of Music forms part of the Alpha Institute, which started as an orphanage in 1880. 

Operated by Roman Catholic nuns, the Alpha Boys School became well known for its music programme, and over the years produced the likes of Don Drummond and Tommy McCook (founding members of the Skatellites) Cedric Brooks, Johnny Osbourne, Leroy Smart, and Yellowman.