Jazz artist leads ‘Music and Migration’ workshops in Manchester schools

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Grammy award-winning jazz percussionist and Simon Industrial Fellow Carlos Maldonado recently ran workshops for year 6 classes in two local primary schools.

Pupils from Stanley Grove Primary Academy and Abraham Moss Community School had the opportunity to learn about the origins and traditions of jazz, including an introduction to jazz instruments and how to recognise styles and music from Latin America. The workshops also saw the children experience jazz first-hand, with a live performance from Carlos and the chance for pupils to perform and improvise using traditional instruments such as Maracas, Guido, Claves, Cowbell as well as different drums such as the Bongo drums and Cajón. 

The pupils asked great questions about Carlos’ awards, being a professional musician and his favourite instruments and percussion sounds. They described the workshop as ‘Amazing,’ ‘Fun’ and ‘Unique,’ with teachers commenting on how well the session aligned with their music curriculum and how it engaged and inspired pupils who would typically not engage. 

Watch the video below to see highlights of Carlos’ visit to Abraham Moss Community School: