The Alpha School of Music is proud to announce the launch of the Gloria Baylis Internships, a new school to work initiative designed to empower music students and support community health. A grant from the Gloria Baylis Foundation will sponsor music-based workshops and performances in healthcare settings between January and April 2026. Alpha School of Music students will gain work and leadership experience and benefit from the guidance of Music Alive, an Ireland-based community organization developing arts and culture strategies to address healthcare needs.
The Director of Music at the Alpha School of Music, Gay Magnus, said the Baylis Internships will open doors for students. “Studies of the health impact of music on performers and patrons points to significant individual and community benefits,” said Magnus. “Without the support of the Gloria Baylis Foundation (info) and Music Alive (info) this would not be possible.”
Based in Canada, the Gloria Baylis Foundation is dedicated to enhancing lives through improving access to education, healthcare, and equal opportunities. Named after the pioneering Bajan-born founder of Baylis Medical Company, Gloria Baylis, the goals of the foundation align closely with those of the Alpha School of Music and both are committed to community upliftment and the development of young people through education and innovation.
“My mother was exceptionally proud of her native Caribbean culture and also her contributions to healthcare,” recalls her son, Frank Baylis. “Today, it makes me very proud that the Gloria Baylis Foundation is able to contribute to both music and healthcare through our partnership with the Alpha School of Music and Music Alive, an organization whose work we support and admire.”
The Alpha School of Music is currently working with community partners to design the internships which will take place from January 2026 through April 2026. Music Alive, based in Cork, Ireland, focuses on the intersection of music and health. Years of experience in community music, recording and publishing brings valuable insight to the Gloria Baylis Internships in Jamaica.
“The community element of community health is often the key to positive outcomes,” said Music Alive founder and director, Kevin O’Shanahan. “The Alpha School of Music has such strong community connections, its students are in an excellent position to be stakeholders in the development of music strategies for community health. We look forward to sharing our experience for best results.”
The Alpha School of Music builds on more than 100 years of music education in Jamaica. Its Associate Degree in Music Performance is the only tertiary programme centered on ensemble training, combining accompaniment, solo work and a complementary suite of audio technology resources, in a group context. Operated by the Sisters of Mercy since 1890 and supported by partners like the American Friends of Jamaica, Alpha makes music education accessible, regardless of background, while creating pathways from school to professional careers through internships and work experience.
