Roy Cape’s special melody

LOOK at the sterling example being set by musician Roy Cape. His foundation’s new outreach programme, which officially begins on Wednesday, is about not only passing on knowledge to others. It is about giving back in a meaningful way.

Mr Cape, 80, is a study in giving back. He forged his own path through his music, becoming a household name synonymous with strong backing bands and brass. Along the way, he also inspired, nurtured and literally backed the careers of many others. His contribution to our culture is substantial.

But this musician has also given back by being an inspiration in ways far removed from the stage. As he tells the tale, his is a story of hope and perseverance.

From 1954 to 1958, he lived in an orphanage.

“I had many behavioural issues and was giving my parents a lot of problems,” he once stated in an interview. He was given a choice to either be shipped out to Grenada where his grandmother lived or go to the Belmont Orphanage, now St Dominic’s Home. He chose the latter.

It was at the orphanage that he met his life’s destiny. He signed on to the music band but there were not enough instruments, so he had to wait. While he waited, he was taught the rudiments of music.

Now, he wishes to pass such lessons on to the community of Diego Martin, where he later moved to, through a series of classes which will run for 72 contact hours over the course of 12 weeks. Training will be available for the trumpet, trombone, alto and tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet, and bass, snare, and marching band drums.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the children,” Mr Cape said last week. “I lived in this area 31 years and I always had a strong feeling about coming back to Diego Martin. I am happy to come here. I hope people will turn out in their numbers because this is for your children’s and your children’s children’s futures.”

But this is a programme which should have buy-in from everyone, young and old.

If additional funding is provided, the programme will possibly move beyond north west Trinidad.

It might also be able to expand its reach to include pan (the Roy Cape Foundation currently has at its disposal only the kinds of instruments that Mr Cape began his music career with like the clarinet and the alto saxophone, the latter of which he has made his name with).

For the moment, we congratulate the foundation, the Music Literary Trust and the State for this initiative.

But it would be music to our ears if all stakeholders, including corporate entities, came together to make programmes like this more common than they are.