By Abisola Abiola

The Cherzando School of Music held its first Fund Raising Activity on Saturday, June 26th at the Charlestown Market to raise funds for the purchase of musical instruments. Scrumptious lunch and local drinks were on sale as the students showed off their skills as pan players and drummers to the awe of their parents and passers by. According to some of the parents they were proud of their children’s delivery and the investment was worth it. Director, Rohan Claxton deemed the fund raising activity a success noting that the support of the public was appreciated.

The Cherzando School of Music started in August 2008 out of the love a young man has for music and his quest to ensure that the art form doesn’t die in Nevis. Mr. Rohan Claxton, renowned local steel pan and piano player started the school in his home with two pans but gradually spread through the communities and by Christmas of 2008 the school boasted of seven students and held its first recital. As a result they got publicity from Info Channel 8 and by January 2009, 30 new students enrolled. Mr. Claxton made a huge investment in the school; and it now offers guitar, piano, steel pan and steel drum classes. He disclosed that the school has stirred a lot of interest over the past two years and is growing in numbers. With its Motto being, “Promoting Music as an Art Form,” the school performs at least three times per year at various cultural functions on Nevis.

According to Claxton, his students as a result of reading music perform very well academically, “music triggers the brain, it helps you focus and take your time to assimilate.” He said that the main objective of the school is to promote music as an art form. He his of the view that the art form is dying, most especially the steel pan; he noted that he will do all in his power to revive it. He said that the seasoned musicians have a challenge of impacting their knowledge to the younger generation. “The way they were thought is different most of them learn by listening but on my part I learnt by reading music which makes it easier for me to pass on my knowledge,” he said.

He disclosed that the Education Department started a band program, he also pointed out that the challenge with this program is that the student don’t see it as a subject, however he his optimistic that they will as time goes on. “The whole idea is to prepare the students with fundamentals of music.”

Claxton has been in the industry for over 20 years; he started with the symphonic band and also played with the Kassanova band for 12 years. He’s a qualified pharmacist and livestock specialist but loves music, “music is my passion, I love it, so am just impacting my knowledge on the kids.” He hopes to showcase the Nevis Pan and Samble during the Culturama festival. He currently holds several certificates in music but recently wrote a CXC in music just to get a full grasp and insight of music in the secondary level. The school has over 50 students, ages six to 15 with a tuition of EC$110.00 per month and classes takes a period of one hour per week.

Claxton disclosed that persons interested in the art form as a job can earn up to EC$1,500 per month or more than that. He noted that the support of the government is also needed in order to revive the art form. He suggested that the Tourism Department take aspiring and talented musicians on tour with them wherever they promote Nevis. Music runs in the Claxton family, one of Mr. Claxton’s son Brendon Claxton is one of Nevis’ upcoming young artists, he his very gifted and plays steel pan at most events held across the island.

The students dished out different variety of music genre, calypso, gospel, reggae and R&B.