The History of the System of Music Education in Jamaica

Jamaica’s rich musical culture has been influenced by the system of music education that exists in the schools today. Given this fact, there is a necessity to document the development of music education in Jamaica, as very little academic literature exists on this topic. Public school and college level music education programs in particular have provided the opportunity for students to have an early exposure to music and to pursue a career in music. However, the multitude of opportunities to study and pursue music did not always exist in Jamaica. The goal of this study is to examine the history of music education in Jamaica with particular focus on such influences as British colonialism, the African Diaspora, Jamaican folk music and Jamaican popular music. This study should help shed some light on the history and development of music education in Jamaica and should be especially useful to Colleges and Universities that offer training in Jamaican music education. Any person or educational organization with a general interest in music education history would also find the study useful.