“One of my favorite things about jazz is how it brings people together. You can go across the world to a country that doesn’t speak anything close to your language. You can play with another person and you don’t speak, you can’t interpret each other’s words. But, then if you sit down and play music, it’s like you speak the exact same language. Music connects and brings people together.”
These are the words spoken by Tinashe M., a senior piano major at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Tinashe comes from a family with a musical background, inspired by his mother who is a pianist. His love for music started at a very young age when he would hear the acoustic sounds of a piano, echoing from the living room to his bedroom. One day, he answered to the echos calling out, by going to sit next to his mother on the piano bench. Then, expressing his interests for learning how to play the piano.
It is no surprise that Tinashe is successfully completing his last year of piano studies, all while going on a jazz tour in the coming weeks.
Earlier in the semester, Tinashe had the opportunity to learn from JB Dyas, vice president of Education and Curriculum Development at Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. Dyas, who taught a week-long masterclass, later invited Tinashe to attend a forum with other jazz musicians from around the country, continuing virtual meetings and lessons.
Shortly afterward, on an evening ride home, Tinashe received an email with an invitation to go on tour.
“I immediately dropped my phone and said, ‘Mom, I’m going on tour!’ I called my dad and friends right away,” Tinashe said. “I was so overjoyed because I always tell my mom that’s my dream. My dream is to travel and share music in as many places as I can.”
Tinashe and six other high school jazz musicians from around the country will join Dyas and other critically acclaimed jazz musicians as they travel to public schools in Alabama, sharing their knowledge and talent to students across the state. The Jazz Education Tour will take place from Feb. 24-28.
Each school visit will include an assembly program featuring a musical performance for all students, followed by workshops for each school’s jazz band and choir with the visiting student performers playing alongside and sharing ideas with their Alabama counterparts.
Tinashe credits Booker T. for introducing him to the genre and his love for jazz, as a classically trained pianist. His favorite parts about attending the school are the endless opportunities, accessibility to pianos and studios, the educators, mentorship, and like minded people. He loves sharing new ideas with his peers, as it has made him a better musician.
“We have been so honored to have Tinashe in our Music Conservatory,” said Leonardo Zuno Fernández, head of piano studies. “We know he will accomplish extraordinary things and wish him all the success in the world and in life.”
Tinashe says seeds of change in jazz represent the way music can bring people together and foster empowerment. Jazz has the incredible ability to erase boundaries—no matter your background or appearance, music creates a space where walls come down. It’s a universal language that doesn’t discriminate.
As Tinashe reflects on his journey, he credits jazz for giving him the freedom to express himself in ways words alone can’t.
“The thing I love about jazz is you can never go wrong. It’s full of expression, pure improvisation—playing what’s within you,” he said. “When I have something to say, I can play it through the music.”
With his tour on the horizon, Tinashe is excited to take his craft to new heights, knowing the tour will be an incredible opportunity to share his voice with others.
As Dallas ISD celebrates Black History Month, his journey serves as a reminder of the transformative power of music and its ability to break barriers, encourage self-expression, and inspire change.
