Tefari Prevoo Francisco at Berklee College of Music.
~ Returns from summer intensive ~
PHILIPSBURG--Tefari Prevoo Francisco on Saturday, August 12, returned from a five-week summer intensive music programme at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
She successfully completed a preliminary course to the bachelor programme and according to a press release, received a glowing introductory letter from South African Jazz pianist Witness Matlou and the music theory professor at Berklee.
Francisco’s participation in the course was made possible through assistance of the Division Study Financing, the Department of Culture, and the Cabinet of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS).
“It is very clear that Tefari has plans to go places. She is very much within the learning process of her instrument(s) to a high professional level and her teacher Paul Emmanuel, himself a Berklee College of Music alumni (Boston, USA). He introduced Tefari to the idea of her attending the summer intensive to furthering her jazz skills at university level,” it was stated in a press release.
MECYS and the Department Division of Study Financing provided a talent scholarship for her to attend the summer programme.
Francisco, who had received the highest-level distinction for her CSEC Advanced Music exams in 2022, attended music theory, musicianship, solfege, string styles survey class, sight reading, jazz improvisation and music therapy classes and was placed in the Jazz Ensemble and the string orchestra.
“I met so many other talented young people dedicated to music. It was a fantastic experience to have this musical exchange at a very high professional level. The professors were amazing. I am so grateful to Witness Matlou, my music theory professor, a South African Jazz pianist for writing me a glowing reference for my Berklee Bachelor audition which I did last Saturday. Mimi Rabson, my Jazz improvisation teacher and one of Boston’s elite on the Jazz fusion scene gave these inspiring classes which took my violin playing to the next level,’ said Francisco.
“It definitely was an intensive programme. My days started at 9:00am and on some days I did not finish until 8:00pm. Blisters on my fingers from playing often more than six hours a day. I was challenged every minute of the day and I loved it.”
She said being at Berklee College of Music confirmed and strengthened her goal of becoming a professional musician. “It was also very exciting that there was a focus on teaching music and music as therapy as these are areas in which I am very much interested in studying for my bachelor’s or master’s. Playing music has been very healing for myself in periods of anxiety and stress and I think there are many possibilities for the youth of St. Maarten in this field,” she added.
