Learning To Groove

Discover the inspiration behind Tomorrow’s Warriors, the motivation that drives the founder, and what makes being part of it so incredibly special. Listen to this podcast and watch the videos to find out more…

Tomorrow’s Warriors – A Special Place To Learn Jazz

Young musicians explain in their own words what Tomorrow’s Warriors is all about and what makes it special.

Learning To Groove 
(Audio – Duration: 18’35)

Learning to Groove tells the story of the Tomorrow’s Warriors band as its young musicians learn the art of jazz. Jason Toynbee, leader of the What Is Black British Jazz research project at The Open University explains how this informal type of music education is playing an important and alternative role. Jazz musician Gary Crosby and Janine Irons share their story of how they set up Tomorrow’s Warriors and why they feel so passionate about giving opportunities to inner city children to learn how to play jazz and to guide them on their way to future success in the music industry. We also hear personal stories from members of the Tomorrow’s Warriors projects, who share their love of jazz and the importance of getting in the groove.

Black British Jazz 
(Video – Duration: 6’54)

What is Black British Jazz? This short film explores the research carried out by The Open University research team led by Dr Jason Toynbee who has been examining the history of Black British Jazz and the stories of the artists who have performed it. This video looks at the history of jazz and how the story dates back as far as 1919, documenting how successive waves of black musicians have contributed to developing new and uniquely British sounds, as well as addressing the problematic issues surrounding race and cultural identity.