Flow Foundation Pledges Fifty Thousand Dollars for Music Studio at Dinthill Technical

Learners at Dinthill Technical High School in St Catherine are nearer to securing a dedicated music recording space after the Flow Foundation presented fifty thousand dollars to advance the project. Administrators say the funding will deepen music instruction on campus while creating fresh avenues for residents across Linstead.

The cheque was handed over at the first staging of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation Teacher of the Year award ceremony, a joint effort involving the Flow Foundation, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills, and Information, and the Jamaica Teaching Council.

The institution's choir performed several pieces during the programme.

Music director Rohan Johnson said the support arrives at a pivotal moment, stressing that Linstead presently offers no recording studios.

"We don't have the facilities to record in Linstead. There aren't any studios at all," Johnson said. "This is not just for the school but for the wider community of Linstead to share the music."

He explained that the planned facility would give pupils room to sharpen their musical abilities and expose younger generations to production work from an early stage.

"I have some kids that are already protégés in music, and we want to foster production because I feel like that's lacking here in Jamaica," he said. "If we can get the young ones introduced to production early, trust me, we'll change Jamaica's music completely."

Johnson, who took up his post at Dinthill Technical in 2019, noted that the music programme has expanded markedly over recent years, winning stronger backing from parents, staff, and the broader school family.

"We're called on for everything under the sun," he said. "I believe the next generation will continue the legacy and reap what has been sown."

Head boy Jordan McLennon also hailed the contribution, describing music as a force that binds the student body.

"We are very grateful," McLennon said. "Music is life. My whole life is around music, our whole lives are around music. We [are] promoting the type of music that we promote — reggae, good vibes, love, and so forth — I believe that it will have a positive impact."

The three-year choir member said he hopes comparable investments will reach other schools across the island.

"I don't think that music is promoted enough," he said. "I hope that not just Dinthill, but other schools will get the opportunity to showcase their talents."

Flow Foundation Executive Director Rhys Campbell said the gift followed the school's triumph as reigning champions of TVJ's All Together Sing.

"We recognised that we couldn't have an event like this without recognising the people who make this possible — the children," Campbell said. "We wanted something that would bring excitement and good vibes, and that's how we ended up with Dinthill."

Campbell noted that while the foundation is widely linked to technology-centred programmes, it also places weight on backing Jamaica's creative industries.

"The more we provide help and connectivity, especially for culture and the arts, the more Jamaica will be able to move to the next level with our culture," he said.

He pointed out that the foundation last year enabled more than two hundred students to attend the Island Music Conference and signalled an ongoing commitment to blending technology with the arts.

"We're going to do anything we can to ensure that we infuse it with technology, because that is key," Campbell said.