STUDENTS at Dinthill Technical High School in St Catherine are one step closer to having a music studio after the Flow Foundation donated $50,000 towards the initiative, a contribution school leaders say will strengthen music education while creating opportunities for the wider Linstead community.

The donation was made during the inaugural staging of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation Teacher of the Year award ceremony, a collaborative initiative of the Flow Foundation, Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills, and Information and the Jamaica Teaching Council. The school’s choir delivered several items at the ceremony.

Music director Rohan Johnson said the contribution comes at a critical time, noting that Linstead currently has no recording studios.

“We don’t have the facilities to record in Linstead. There aren’t any studios at all,” Johnson said. “This is not just for the school but for the wider community of Linstead to share the music.”

He said the studio will provide a space where students can develop their musical talents while introducing young people to music production from an early age.

“I have some kids that are already protégés in music, and we want to foster production because I feel like that’s lacking here in Jamaica,” he said. “If we can get the young ones introduced to production early, trust me, we’ll change Jamaica’s music completely.”

Johnson, who joined Dinthill Technical in 2019, said the school’s music programme has grown significantly over the past several years, earning greater appreciation from parents, staff and the wider school community.

“We’re called on for everything under the sun,” he said. “I believe the next generation will continue the legacy and reap what has been sown.”

Head boy Jordan McLennon also welcomed the donation, describing music as a unifying force within the school.

“We are very grateful,” McLennon said. “Music is life. My whole life is around music, our whole lives are around music. We [are] promoting the type of music that we promote — reggae, good vibes, love, and so forth — I believe that it will have a positive impact.”

The three-year choir member expressed hope that similar investments would be extended to other schools across Jamaica.

“I don’t think that music is promoted enough,” he said. “I hope that not just Dinthill, but other schools will get the opportunity to showcase their talents.”

Executive director of the Flow Foundation Rhys Campbell said the donation was inspired by the school’s performance as the reigning champions of TVJ’s All Together Sing.

“We recognised that we couldn’t have an event like this without recognising the people who make this possible — the children,” Campbell said. “We wanted something that would bring excitement and good vibes, and that’s how we ended up with Dinthill.”

Campbell said, while the foundation is widely known for supporting technology-based initiatives, it also recognises the importance of investing in Jamaica’s creative industries.

“The more we provide help and connectivity, especially for culture and the arts, the more Jamaica will be able to move to the next level with our culture,” he said.

He noted that the Flow Foundation supported more than 200 students to attend the Island Music Conference last year and intends to continue combining technology with the arts.

“We’re going to do anything we can to ensure that we infuse it with technology, because that is key,” Campbell said.