Alpha School of Music (ASOM) has entered into an exciting new partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). This collaboration will promote and strengthen academic and cultural links between Jamaica and the United States of America. The two tertiary institutions will facilitate student and faculty exchanges, the co-development of curricula, and create greater opportunities for music production and performance.
Each tertiary institution will allow their students to take select classes at the other school and both schools will work together to deliver a joint lecture series which bridges their respective courses. Specifically, ASOM’s faculty will teach on the origins and evolution of Jamaican music genres such as Ska (which is deeply rooted in Alpha’s own history). Likewise, faculty from BMCC will deliver lessons on music history (focusing on genres like Jazz) to students from both schools via virtual sessions.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ASOM and BMCC was signed on June 6, 2026 by Ms. Gay Magnus (Director of Music, ASOM), and Dr. Anthony Munroe (President, BMCC) at the Alpha School of Music campus. This was done within the presence of Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith (Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade), Mrs. Margaret Little Wilson (Administrator, ASOM), Ms. Marcia Tai Chun (Chief Executive Officer, Sisters of Mercy of Jamaica), and Christopher Benjamin (Community Relations Officer, Consulate General of Jamaica, New York).
During this event, Ms. Magnus gave a presentation on the structure and scope of the collaboration under the MOU and a special message was read on behalf of Mrs. Alsion Roach Wilson (Consul General of Jamaica, New York). The signing was followed by a musical treat by ASOM students and a guided tour of the school’s campus for the special guests. This momentous occasion marked ASOM’s first MOU of this kind of partnership. This collaboration will usher in a new era for both schools, ushering in new opportunities for future music students.
