Class: Cuban Jazz Ensemble (BVR-X)
Grades: 11, 12
Teacher: Ana Norgaard
The Cuban Jazz Ensemble took a trip to the Berklee Performance Center to see Juan De Marcos Gonzalez and the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The trip allowed students to not only experience a live performance of the music they’ve been studying, but also go backstage to meet the musicians.
The unity and collaboration that I saw in the performance is something I will take away from this experience. It was evident that everybody on stage was together because of the music and communicated with each other through sound and I want to carry that into my own playing.
Sadie Wylie '26
The Afro-Cuban All Stars features a multigenerational lineup of members from Cuba’s leading classic and contemporary Cuban bands. “It was an incredible opportunity to meet and witness a world-class band playing precisely the type of material the students have been exposed to in class,” teacher Ana Norgaard says. “I hope students got inspired from the high energy and joyful spirit of this genre of music.”
A highlight of the trip was when students danced the conga line as the band played their closing number. By connecting with other members of the audience–and the music itself–students were reminded of the infectious joy that can be found through the music they are studying. This joy will serve as inspiration for students as they continue to develop their style and prepare for a trip to Cuba later this school year.
I decided to audition for–and take–Cuban Jazz because it was an opportunity to push myself and my music skills and learn about a genre I was not familiar with. Getting to go to Cuba and study with Escuela Nacional de Arte for a week in the spring will be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Sadie Wylie '26
More about this course : In this course, students will specialize in and learn a variety of Afro-Cuban Jazz Standards. They will explore Cuban culture and history to gain a greater understanding of the evolution of Cuban music and its relationship and impact on North American jazz. An element of this course is a trip that will allow students to immerse themselves in another culture, and work with students and teachers at Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba to hone their music skills while making cross-cultural and historical connections.