Culturally Relevant Music Assessment for Caribbean Learners
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Dr. Stefan Walcott is a performer and academic specialising in the popular music of the English-speaking Caribbean. Stefan has a PhD in Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill and currently lectures at the University of the West Indies, where he is coordinator of the BFA and BA with education in Music, which he co-authored. Stefan has self-published three books: 60 Caribbean Folk Songs, 20 Bajan Folk Songs and Caribbean Composer’s Handbook, which is being used in the education system in Barbados. He also has the only blog on Caribbean Music, www.stefanwalcott.com, which discusses music and culture. Stefan has also created Handel’s Caribbean Messiah, an original reworking of Handel’s Messiah that incorporates Caribbean folk and popular culture.
Dr. Walcott is the artistic director of the UWI Big Band and served as a cultural consultant with the Royal Opera House on their work-in-progress piece, Insurrection. He was the musical director of Yankee Bajan, a theatrical piece that toured the United States in 2023, and the coordinator of the Ministry of Culture’s Jackie Opel Residency Lab. Stefan is also a 2024 Anthony N. Sabga Laureate in Arts and Letters. This award is the highest regional recognition one can receive in the arts in the Caribbean.
Dr. Grace-Anne Jackman is a lecturer in Testing, Measurement, and Evaluation in the School of Education at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus. Prior to joining the UWI faculty, she gained significant measurement and assessment expertise as a Measurement Officer at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) in Barbados. Dr. Jackman’s commitment to fairness in assessment, and her interest in inequities and bias in testing, shaped her doctoral research, which examined factor mixture modelling as an approach to detecting items that exhibit manifest-group differential item functioning (DIF). Her research interests span classroom and large-scale assessment, assessment leadership, technology-based assessment, test construction, item response theory, and Artificial Intelligence. Through this work, she seeks to strengthen both the theoretical foundations and practical application of educational assessment in ways that enhance validity, fairness, and educational decision-making.
Beyond her technical expertise, she is a passionate listener and supporter of many genres of music, with a deep appreciation for Caribbean and global musical traditions. This personal commitment to music, combined with her assessment and psychometric background, positions her to make a strong contribution to the Caribbean Music Assessment Board (CMAB).
Professor Donna-Maria Maynard has over 30 years of experience in psychology and counselling, with a focus on education, training, and research in the Caribbean. After completing her Masters and gaining clinical experience in the UK, she transitioned to school counselling in Barbados before moving into academia. She has taught psychology and counselling at both undergraduate and graduate levels for over two decades. Her scholarly contributions include research, peer review, and editorial work. She serves on the editorial board of the Caribbean Journal of Psychology and reviews for international journals. A leader in regional psychology, she has held executive roles in CANPA and served as President of the Barbados Society of Psychology. Professor Maynard remains committed to advancing psychology and counselling in the Caribbean through mentorship, supervision, and professional development.
Professor Maynard is a psychologist and student development expert who cares deeply about helping students grow into their fullest potential. She brings together cultural leadership, evidence-based assessment, and a genuinely student-centred approach. A lover of music and passionate about raising young instrumentalists, she supports confident, creative, and well-rounded development.
David O. Akombo is Professor of Music Education and Interdisciplinary Musicology and Founding Dean of the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts (FCCPA) at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus (Barbados). He is an internationally recognized scholar-administrator, composer, and interdisciplinary educator whose career reflects sustained leadership at the intersection of music, health, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and global arts education. With more than two decades of experience across higher-education systems in the United States, Southeast Asia, Japan, the Caribbean, and East Africa, he brings a rare combination of scholarly depth, institutional governance expertise, and cross-cultural perspective to academic leadership and assessment.
Professor Akombo’s scholarly output is extensive and interdisciplinary, comprising over sixty peer-reviewed publications, including six monographs. His books including, The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures,among others, are widely cited for their methodological rigor and theoretical integration. His research has appeared in leading international journals such as Muziki, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, Finnish Journal of Music Education, Journal of Cultural Diversity, and the Journal of the Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative Research in Music and Medicine. His research influence extends beyond disciplinary boundaries. Professor Akombo has collaborated on interdisciplinary studies published in venues including The Lancet, contributed to global conversations on music and health, and engaged in policy-relevant research on arts education, cultural sustainability, and heritage transmission. He has delivered invited papers and keynote addresses at more than eighty national and international conferences across five continents.
Lizgo Jordan Bartholomew has been passionately involved in music education for more than twenty-five years. Her musical journey began at age seven in Barbados under the tutelage of Arletta Small, where she started her ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) examinations. Her early performance experience was grounded in church ministry, a space in which she continues to serve as a pianist, accompanist, and mentor. She later pursued tertiary studies at The University of the West Indies in The Bahamas, completing a BSc in Tourism Management while serving as a resident church pianist, accompanying choirs and supporting chorale training.
On returning to Barbados, she combined full-time professional work with leading music ministry initiatives, including establishing a church choir. After migrating to Grenada in 2004, she entered private full-time teaching practice (2006), teaching classical piano to children and adults and supporting many students who later pursued further study and successful careers. She has played a significant leadership role in the Grenada Music Teachers Association (GMTA), serving as Vice-President and President, and helping to stage concerts and showcase emerging student talent. For the past 11 years, she served as Grenada’s ABRSM Representative, facilitating local practical and theory examinations, with her tenure concluding on 31 January 2026. Her expertise is also sought by Grenada’s Division of Culture, where she adjudicates national competitions such as the Festival of the Arts and Drum Fest.
Randy Eastmond is a Barbadian musician, music educator, and creative entrepreneur whose career bridges music production, arts education, event management, and national-level cultural programming, a combination that aligns strongly with CMAB’s mission to build credible Caribbean music certification pathways. He is the Creative Director of Quantum Productions, a recording studio and artiste management agency recognised for high-quality output and longstanding contribution to the local and regional music industry. Through Quantum Productions and extensive event leadership, including major youth and national events, he brings practical expertise in programme delivery, production standards, stakeholder coordination, and scalable systems.
Mr. Eastmond holds a BSc in Management, a Diploma in Music Education (Distinction), and a Master’s in Music Education (Kingston University, London), and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Educational Leadership. He also serves as an Education Officer at the Ministry of Educational Transformation with responsibility for music across all schools in Barbados, giving him valuable insight into curriculum expectations, school-based implementation realities, and the policy environment in which CMAB programmes will operate.
Ms. Joy Patricia Knight, GCM, MA, BFA (Hons–First Class), is a distinguished Barbadian string specialist, music educator, and ethnomusicologist. A former student of Combermere School, she pursued violin performance at York University in Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours), and later completed a Master of Arts specialising in ethnomusicology. Since returning to Barbados, she has performed and provided artistic leadership with ensembles including Pan Revolution, the Barbados String Quartet, Barbados Symphonia, and the Barbados Chamber Orchestra (as first violinist), while remaining deeply committed to building national capacity in instrumental music.
Ms. Knight has taught music across several Barbadian secondary schools, including Springer Memorial, The Lodge School, Ellerslie, Combermere, and The Coleridge and Parry School, where she served as Head of the Fine Arts Department and Director of the school band from 1995. Under her leadership, the band achieved sustained excellence at NIFCA, earning School Band of the Year for five consecutive years along with major awards. She has supported regional exposure through performance tours and workshops in St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, and Cuba, and has served the Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra (BNYSO) since 1997, becoming Director in 2001. She is also the founder and coordinator of the Primary School String Programme, which has introduced more than 3,000 students to strings (and more recently wind and brass), with many progressing to the BNYSO. Her national contributions have been recognised through multiple honours, including the Pride of Barbados Award (2010) and the Gold Crown of Merit for exceptional service to music and music education.
Mr. Kevin Moore embarked on his musical journey at the age of eight as a member of the Caribbean handbell group The Bethel Chimers. This aided in his reading, listening and theoretical skills before moving on to trumpet as his solo instrument of choice. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in Music from H. Lehman College, City University of New York, and holding additional qualifications including an Associate Degree in Music from the Barbados Community College, and certificates from Trinity/Guildhall College and Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, Kevin has demonstrated his proficiency in music theory, composition, conducting, arrangement and performance. Whilst at Lehman, Kevin earned the title of Presidential Scholar for five consecutive semesters and was inducted into the Golden Key Honour Society for his exploits there. In 2024, he was honoured by City University of New York as one of their inaugural “50 Under 50” awardees.
As the founding member, arranger, manager and former Artistic Director of 1688 Orchestra and Collective, he helped to elevate the group from a community project to a renowned Caribbean jazz/fusion band. Kevin is the co-owner and founder of Trumpetboy Entertainment, here he arranges and composes music for regional artists and provides bespoke entertainment services to their clientele. Following his teaching experience at Alleyne School and Harrison College, he now serves as the Cultural Officer for Music Education at The National Cultural Foundation in Barbados, overseeing musical initiatives across the country. Kevin is driven by his desire to be a pioneer in the creation, education and administration of music in the Caribbean.
Richard Payne is a Saint Lucian pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, known for his innovative approach to music. He is the co-founder of Bluemango among other acclaimed musical projects. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Saint Lucia School of Music.
Richard has graced festival stages in the United States, Europe, South America, and across the Caribbean. His work has been featured on RFI, (Radio France International), BET Jazz, Guadeloupe la 1 ere, Martinique la Premiere TV and other respected international publications, including as Jazz Magazine (France), Afropop Worldwide, VERA & Caribbean Beat Magazine.
Richard’s latest Pan Caribbean Creole jazz album entitled INTROSPECTION was released in March 2025. A testament to his contributions to music, Richard is a recipient of Saint Lucia’s National M&C Fine Arts Gold and Silver Awards for excellence in the field of music.
Roger N. Williams is a pianist, music educator, researcher, and choral conductor. He has performed numerous recitals as solo and collaborative pianist in Jamaica and overseas. Dr. Williams interests are diverse as he is a researcher with special interest in the intersection of music education and culture, Jamaican classical music on the concert stage, music teacher education, and various aspects of music education in the Jamaican secondary school system. He has presented papers and lecture recitals at conferences and was one of two music editors for the 2013 publication of Voices in Praise, a hymnal published by the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas.
Dr. Williams hails from Montego Bay where he received his early training in piano. He is a graduate of the Jamaica School of Music (now Edna Manley College) with a Diploma in Music Education, a Bachelor of Music in performance (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Southern Maine, a Master of Music in performance from Butler University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in music education from Boston University. He is the Dean of the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA), Kingston, Jamaica.
Kaylee Allman is an aspiring Barbadian jazz musician, music producer and performer. Her musical journey started 8 years ago at the University of Belleplaine, the Alleyne School, where she fell in love with the flute She has performed at numerous events such as the Schools Music Festival, NIFCA as a member of the choir, and The Spirit of The Nation Talent Show. She has a deep, passionate and unconditional love for music and wants to share it with whoever is willing to listen.
Mr. Mark Forde is a Barbadian musician with over 20 years experience in the music industry. With the steelpan as his primary instrument, he is also a competent drummer and percussionist. He possesses an Associate Degree in Music from the Barbados Community College and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus in Trinidad where completed his study with first class honours as well as the “Newman Alexander Award” for the top music student in 2015.
Mr. Forde’s accolades also include a Gold Award from the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts in Barbados in 2011 and he also placed 5th overall in the inaugural edition of Pano-Grama, an international Steelpan competition, in 2020. He has been a featured performer as a soloist and band member at many National events in his home country, throughout the Caribbean, England, Qatar, Dubai, Japan and the U.S.A. He has also served as an adjudicator at Mashramani Panorama in Guyana and is now heavily involved in music education and administration in various programmes throughout Barbados.
Mr. Dike Samai is a Fulbright scholar, international award-winning composer, orchestrator, steelpan performer, and educator from Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Master of Music in Theory and Composition with a concentration in Screen Scoring from New York University, a Certificate in Orchestration for Film and Television from Berklee College of Music, and a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Arts from The University of the West Indies. With over 25 years of experience as a steelpan performer, Samai’s artistry bridges classical orchestration, film scoring, and Caribbean musical traditions, presenting the steelpan as a sophisticated and expressive instrument within global concert and cinematic contexts.
As Senior Instructor (Steelpan) at the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Academy for the Performing Arts, Mr. Samai has been instrumental in developing and refining steelpan performance and pedagogy at the tertiary level. He serves as a technical expert in the formulation of the National Occupational Standards for Steelpan Musical Performance and continues to contribute to the national and international steelpan landscape as a Panorama adjudicator, arranger, and mentor to young musicians.
Mr. Samai’s compositions and film scores have been performed and screened internationally, earning acclaim for their emotional power, rhythmic complexity, and cultural authenticity. Through his innovative approach to music creation and education, he continues to elevate the profile of Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument, inspiring the next generation of composers and performers to embrace the steelpan’s limitless possibilities.