Berklee Press donates books to disadvantaged schools in South Africa.

By Rajasri Mallikarjuna
Berklee.edu Correspondent
June 29, 2007

Each spring for the past six years, Bob Sinicrope has brought Milton Academy jazz students to visit schools across South Africa, performing with local students and delivering donated music equipment and supplies. This year, Sinicrope, the International Association of Jazz Educators’ 2006 John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year, brought with him eight sets of John LaPorta’s A Guide to Jazz Improvisation, published by Berklee Press. Teachers at the Westerford High School in Cape Town “were particularly delighted,” said Sinicrope, “as they want to begin teaching improvisation to their students.”

In all, Berklee Press donated 64 books for the 2007 trip, including eight sets of Berklee Press’s Instant Series, which includes Instant Keyboard by Paul Schmeling and Dave Limina, Instant Guitar by Tomo Fujita, Instant Drum Set by Ron Savage, and Instant Bass by Danny Morris. This series explains fundamental instrumental techniques in a clear, hands-on way. “Some of these schools work at a basic [musical] level. Students who don’t know much about piano, guitar, bass, and drums can use the Instant Series,” said Sinicrope.

The impetus for the annual trip can be traced to a visit Abdullah Ibrahim, the acclaimed South African musician, took to Milton Academy in 1991. Impressed by the jazz students’ talent, he invited them to visit his country. This year’s trip involved 24 students, and the group received over $18,000 in products to bring to South Africa. This was an enormous help, Sinicrope said, since the cost of receiving books and equipment from overseas is so expensive—higher than the retail prices of the products. “We’re the couriers,” he said. “We get to see the smiles on the faces when the kids get them. Berklee Press and other generous companies have brought much joy to many South African schools.”

Bob Sinicrope (second from right) presenting the donated music books.   Students at the Westerford High School in Cape Town.

Rajasri Mallikarjuna is an editorial assistant at Berklee Press. She is a fourth-semester film scoring major.