Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...

, still run by

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

nuns. Established in 1880 as a "school for wayward boys", it became renowned for both the discipline it instilled in its pupils and the outstanding musical tuition they received.Barrow, Steve and Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", Rough Guides, 1997, In 2014 Alpha's residence closed and the school continued as Alpha Institute to focus on educational and vocational training for inner city unattached youth.

School band

The school band was formed in 1892. It was originally a

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

and

fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross ...

corps, and later a brass band, following the gift of brass instruments from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Jamaica.History of Alpha Boys' School
The school has been credited with influencing the development of ska and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

.Nun who nurtured reggae
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', 12/01/2006 Its music instructors have included Lennie Hibbert, Ruben Delgado and Sparrow Martin. Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, an alumnus of the Alpha Academy next door, is recognized as a factor in the strength of Alpha's program and that of Jamaican music more broadly. Sister Ignatius did not teach music or know how to play an instrument. Sister Ignatius owned a sound system called Mutt And Jeff Sound. The Alpha Alumni Ensemble is composed of former students of the school who are now professional musicians.

Alpha self help programs

The school has a long history with trying to be self-sufficient. Older trades such as tile making, tailoring and farming had a direct impact on sustaining the school, were part of the vocational culture of the school and opportunities to work. Self-help now includes wood working, screen printing, digital print services and music performance. In April 2013, Alpha Boys School launched a new clothing project to support the school with two tee shirt designs by Michael Thompson (aka Freestylee: Artist Without Borders) and equipment provided by Digicel Jamaica. Alpha's tee shirts include designs for the Jamaica Sound System Federation & Active fashion India.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni, all musicians, include: * Theophilus Beckford * "Deadly" Headley Bennett *

Cedric Brooks Cedric "Im" Brooks (27 April 1943 – 3 May 2013) was a Jamaican saxophonist and flautist known for his solo recordings and as a member of The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, The Sound Dimensions, Divine Light, The Light of Saba, and The Skatal ...

Winston Francis Winston Francis (born 1943) aka Mr Fix It is a Jamaican singer whose career began in the 1960s. Biography Born in Kingston in 1943, Francis served an apprentice as a printer before relocating to Miami at the age of 16.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The ...

* Johnny Osbourne * Vin Gordon *Eskimo Fox, original drummer of Creation Rebel, African Headcharge and Singers and Players and one of the founders of On-U Sound Records. * Owen Gray *

Joe Harriott Joseph Arthurlin Harriott (15 July 1928 – 2 January 1973) was a Jamaican jazz musician and composer, whose principal instrument was the alto saxophone. Initially a bebopper, he became a pioneer of free-form jazz. Born in Kingston, Harriot ...

* Wilton Gaynair * Leslie Thompson *

Bobby Ellis Bobby Ellis OD (2 July 1932 – 18 October 2016) was a Jamaican trumpet player. He worked with many reggae artists including Peter Tosh, Burning Spear and The Revolutionaries. Biography Born in Kingston on 2 October 1932, Bobby Ellis attende ...

* David Madden * Harold McNairJamaica Observer - Jazz: What's Jamaica Got To Do With It?
* Dizzy Reece * Keith Sterling * Rico Rodriguez * Richard Hall (musician) * Four founding members of the Skatalites (

Tommy McCook Tommy McCook (3 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel One ...

, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore,

Lester Sterling Lester Sterling OD (born 31 January 1936),Musicians Bio
", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrie ...

and

Don Drummond Don Drummond (12 March 1932Cane-Honeysett, L: ''Don Drummond Memorial Album'', liner notes. Trojan 2009. – 6 May 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many ...

) *

Leroy Smart Leroy Smart (born 1952), is a reggae singer-songwriter and record producer from Kingston, Jamaica. Biography Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned at the age of two. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at Alpha Boys Scho ...

* Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton *

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

Trinity (musician) Trinity Junior Brammer (born Wade Brammer, 1954 – 9 April 2021) was a Jamaican reggae deejay and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s. Biography He was born in 1954 in Kingston, Jamaica, and Brammer w ...

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace (born 22 August 1950) is a Jamaican drummer who worked for several years at Studio One, and has worked with numerous reggae artists including The Gladiators, Inner Circle,Hebdige, Dick (1987) ''Cut 'n' Mix: Culture, ...

Floyd Lloyd Floyd Lloyd (born Lloyd Seivright, 3 June 1948, in St. Ann, Jamaica – 6 November 2018)Artist Biography, '' AllMusic'', Retrieved 28 July 2014 was a Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in a ...

* Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig;

Alpha Boys School Radio

Alpha Boys' School Radio is a 24/7 online radio station (www.alphaboysschoolradio.com) and celebration of the legacy established by the Kingston, Jamaica-based school responsible for the education and musical development of Jamaica's premiere jazz, ska, reggae and dancehall pioneers. Featuring music performed by Alpha's alumni, including jazz stalwarts of the 1950s and 1960s like Joe Harriott and Dizzy Reece, ska pioneers the Skatalites, Cedric 'Im' Brooks and Rico Rodriguez; rocksteady innovator Vin Gordon; reggae icons Leroy Smart and Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace; and the original King of the Dancehall, Winston 'Yellowman' Foster; Alpha Boys' School Radio is a 24/7 connection to the beat of Jamaican music. Every February, Alpha Boys School Radio hosts the Reggae Auction to benefit social services for Alpha students.

Book

In November, 2017, authors Heather Augustyn and Adam Reeves published their comprehensive book, Alpha Boys' School: Cradle of Jamaican Music, from Half Pint Press. The book chronicles over 40 musicians who attended Alpha Boys' School and contains exclusive interviews and photographs from many of the musicians.

References