Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
GARNET MOWATT - CONTRIBUTED
AS MORE and more young artistic persons attempt to gain higher education in their chosen art form, the practice of staging a show to raise funds for the pocket-straining effort of a college degree becomes more popular.
Last week The Journey, which took place at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies, Mona, joined that growing list which also includes I'll Send You a Postcard and In Tuition.
The Journey was presented by musician and teacher Garnet Mowatt, who gathered several persons he had worked with over the years to showcase their talent and his and raise funds for school - at least, if he gets accepted. He hopes to acquire a masters and PhD in music therapy at the University of Mississippi, where his application is ccurrently being processed.
Mowatt met with The Gleaner in the gloaming of Tuesday as darkness quickly descended over the Kingston sky. The 28-year-old is an unassuming looking young man, with a ready smile and unaffected mannerisms. As he speaks about his plans for higher learning, as well as The Journey, a smile comes quickly to his lips and hardly leaves them for the duration of the interview.
He admits that music was not his first love, though he began playing the piano at age four. Until a few years ago, music was just a "great hobby" while being a pilot was the intended professional goal. He finally decided to veer off course in 1999, however, but he felt that it was too late to start from scratch and pursue his second dream of veterinary medicine.
He therefore decided to pursue something he already had some training in - music. So he enrolled in the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, where he is now a teacher of piano and music theory.
His role as an educator began at Holy Childhood Preparatory, however, when he began the same September he began pursuing his diploma in music education at the School of Music. Mowatt also teaches at Papine High and is band leader for the
up-and-coming Nexus performing arts group.
He explains that he is drawn to studying music therapy because he wants to do something different and meaningful. Additionally, his work with special education students at Holy Childhood has given him a hint of how effective music can be. He explains that he has actually seen it soothe a restive class and so believes that Jamaica could greatly benefit from having music therapy at its disposal.
"The state that the country is in right now, I think it (music therapy) would make a big difference," he said. Mowatt explains that he is more interested in working with the young, because he believes it can be more effective in offsetting negative behaviour. "I've seen where if you trap them from early, it will change them positively for years to come," he said.
"I've been in a class where the class is totally disruptive and you play some soothing music, I call it meditating music, and after a while it calms them down," he said. So, he is quite convinced that though music therapy is not a very popular field currently, it would be gladly welcomed.
Furthermore, Mowatt argues that studying music therapy will allow him to explore how he really wants to interact with music and the rest of the world. "I didn't want to be a performer per se," he says, "and teaching is nice but I'm not sure that it is what I really like." He explains that Music Therapy will allow him to show others the power of music and that is what he really wants to do.
A CHANCE TO RAISE FUNDS
Creating The Journey, however, presented Mowatt with more than a chance to raise funds for school. It allowed him to explore his skills as a composer. He explains Neila Ebanks insisted that he compose an original piece for her to dance to and a beatific smile graces his lips as he reflects on the results. "When I got the challenge it felt good," he said.
The show also allowed him to re-arrange another composition and then see it come to fruition. For the first time he composed for instruments, other than the piano and clarinet, the two instruments that he plays. "I was really blown away when I saw it coming together," he said. "It really felt good."
So his journey continues and though he veered from being a pilot, Mowatt is looking forward to soaring with music.
