Professor Benjamin Boone and his Jazz ensemble taking personnel through the practical aspect of jazz at the central band headquarters
The Ghana Police Central Band is this year establishing a music school to train young musicians into professionals.
Superintendent Dr Frank Hukporti, Director in-charge of the Police Central Band, revealed that plans have been put in place to start the school by the end of this year as part of their centenary celebration.
“We are going to add jazz as part of our curricula for our students,” he averred.
He made this known during a joint jazz practical rehearsal by a jazz ensemble from the United States led by Prof Dr Benjamin Boone, a jazz professor from the United States of America, and other sister security services.
In attendance were the Ghana Prisons Band, Ghana National Fire Service Band and the Customs Ghana Revenue Authority Band.
Dr Hukporti said music enthusiasts will be admitted while those are into music but want to be professionals will also be received.
“They will learn the theoretical aspects of music, including jazz, as well as the practical aspect,” he added.
Prof Dr Benjamin Boone, a month ago, organised a jazz class for personnel to teach them the theoretical aspect of jazz music.
A five-member jazz ensemble led by Prof Boone, who is a Fulbright scholar to the University of Ghana, took personnel through the practical aspect of all what he taught them in their previous lessons.
The jazz ensemble played to the hearing of the personnel what Prof Boone taught them during their previous theoretical lessons for better understanding.
“Our band was formed by the British; all the songs that they brought to us, we didn’t have any jazz piece, so for us to be introduced to jazz for the first time, we were happy and personnel have also embraced it,” Dr Hukporti cited.
“Prof Boone has come to give us more insight to jazz because he is a jazz professor and we are glad,” he added.
In an earlier interview, Prof Dr Benjamin Boone told NEWS-ONE that “jazz is a very important music in the United States and it came from the music of Ghana. Ghanaians must be proud of it since it is part of the history of Ghana and the relationship between the United States of America and Ghana.”
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey & Maame Anima Akowuah