Interview with Christopher Harper
Student Testimonial
Christopher Harper has a love for music and the arts! This love is so strong that he realised from an early age that he had to make a career out of his lifelong passion.
When Christopher decided to pursue formal studies in music in 1996, the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston came highly recommended by his mentor Arturo Tappin. Coming from a family of humble means, the Unique High School alumnus acknowledged that the Student Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF) was the “only reasonable option” for him to obtain the funding needed for his studies.
Christopher describes his experience with the SRLF as “seamless”. He recalls that his Credit Officer, Ms. Marlene Best, was extremely helpful throughout the whole process. The former member of the Royal Barbados Police Band outlined that what was especially great about the SRLF was its ability to be tailored to accommodate the particular circumstances of the student.
“I had two personal repayment issues where I needed deferrals during a period of further study and when I was starting up my business. The fund was accommodating and granted the deferrals and allowed me to catch up on my payments to finish the loan on time,” he explained.
The experience of living and studying abroad has done much to enrich Christopher’s life and has served to broaden his perspective. According to him, he could not have chosen a better school. Berklee had all the right programs and the knowledge and experience gained at the institution has allowed him to compete successfully in the Barbadian music arena. The professional Saxophonist and Trombonist has toured with bands such as Coalishun, X-TA-C and Krossfyah. He has performed with groups at the Grenada Jazz Festival and The Barbados Jazz Festival on three occasions, opening for world famous Saxophonists Najee and Kenny G, and Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. The Studio Musician, who is an Arranger and Transcriber on several Crop Over tracks, also spent two years as a music teacher at the Princess Margaret Secondary School.
Christopher is currently the Managing Director of Notes to Note Inc., a full service entertainment management company. He is also the producer of several cultural events in Barbados including “The Cool Jazz Series” and “The Barbados Dance Extravaganza”. With his motto “Keeping the Arts Alive”, he is on a mission to use his expertise to enhance the creative industries sector in Barbados. Being a strong proponent of continuous education, Christopher has a post graduate diploma in Arts & Cultural Enterprise Management. He is currently completing an MBA in Strategic Management at the Greenwich School of Management, London.
Christopher is grateful to the SRLF for affording him the opportunity to study at one of the best music schools in the world. He encourages other young persons who want to study abroad but do not have the financial means to access the services of the SRLF. “If you have financial limitations and you are looking for the best deal to educate yourself, SRLF is the place for you”, he advised.