Meet the Team

Sir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE, 
Patron Music Unites Jamaica Foundation (MUJF)​

Sir Willard Wentworth White, world renowned bass-baritone, was born on October 10, 1946, in Ewarton, Jamaica.

Willard White, a graduate of Excelsior High School in Kingston and founding member of the Jamaican Folk Singers, commenced formal musical training at the Jamaica School of Music and continued his studies at The Julliard School in New York where he received several scholarships during his studies at the conservatory.  

He made his professional operatic debut with New York City Opera, where he played the character of Colline in La Bohème in 1974. His European debut was with Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, Wales, where he played Osmin in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio.  He has since gone on to perform in the world's major opera houses, and his powerful voice and commanding stage presence have made him a popular and admired singer across a wide range of musical styles. White is best known for performing as Mephistopheles in The Damnation of Faust, a role he has played many times. Besides his traditional classical repertoire, he is celebrated for his performances as Porgy in Porgy and Bess. 

​Winston A. G. Ewart, OD, JP, MA, LRSM
MUJF Chairman, Pianist, Organist and Conductor

Winston Ewart is a retired commercial banker. He joined Barclays Bank, DCO in 1969, now known as The National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited, and remained with the organization until September 1996 when he was seconded to the Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts as the Director of Studies for Music. After the period of secondment ended some 30 months later he opted to remain at the college and was later promoted to the position of Vice Principal – Administration and Development.

In 2007 he resigned this position and served for a short stint at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission as Music Specialist before moving on to the University of Technology Jamaica (UTech) as coordinator for the Masters in Business Administration Program where he served until March 2013.

Winston is very involved in the musical landscape of Jamaica. He has served as President of the Jamaica Music Teachers Association on several occasions and continues to serve as: Musical Director of the National Chorale of Jamaica; Organist of Christ Church (Anglican) for over 50 years; and as an Accompanist.  He is also the Local Representative for Trinity College, London.

Rosina Christina Moder, OD, M. Mus
Co-Founder and Executive Director

Rosina Christina Moder was born in the Styrian Hills of South-east Austria and has resided in Jamaica since 1985. She graduated from the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria, with a Certificate in “Kindersingschule” - Early Childhood Music Education (1974), a Bachelor’s degree in Recorder Teaching (1976) and a Masters degree, (Hons.), in Recorder Performance (1977). Rosina received her post-graduate studies at the ‘Schola Cantorum Basiliensis’ (Jeanette van Wingerden) in Basel, Switzerland, and at the Music University ‘Mozarteum’ (Nikolaus Harnoncourt) in Salzburg, Austria.

Her performance career has taken her from Europe, Japan, Argentina, and the United States of America to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

​Rosina is co-founder and executive director of the ‘Music Unites Jamaica Foundation’, a non for-profit organization with the mission of raising funds for music scholarships and mentoring talented students in need. Research on Jamaican composers, as well as hosting free concerts and workshops island-wide, are further aims of ‘Music Unites Jamaica’. Rosina is also the founder and musical director of ‘Flauto Dolce’, the Jamaican Recorder Society.

Peter Ashbourne, CD, B. Mus
Composer, Musician and Music Lecturer, Co-Founder and Director

Peter Ashbourne attended the St. Hugh’s Preparatory School, the Wolmer’s High School for Boys, the University of the West Indies in Kingston, the Jamaica School of Music, and has a Bachelor of Music (composition) degree from the Berklee College of Music (Boston, Mass., USA).  Mr Ashbourne, who holds a LRSM (Performance) diploma in violin, was considered a child prodigy on that instrument from as early as age 9.  He also plays the piano.
 
An experienced composer, arranger, performer and band leader, Ashbourne taught at the ‘Jamaica School of Music’ in its Jazz Department from 1976 – 1979. He conducted an Art Music and Reggae Workshop at the ‘University of Music and Dramatic Arts – Graz’, Austria in 1986 and held a lecture and seminar on the ‘Development of Jamaican Popular Music, from Mento, Ska, Reggae to Dancehall’ at the ‘University of Southern Maine’, U.S.A., in spring 2007.  His lecture ‘Two Turning Points in Jamaican Popular Music’ held at the Global Reggae Conference 2008, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) was universally well received and was published in the Book ‘Global Reggae’ in 2013. In 2019 he was invited to present ‘An Overview of Jamaica’s Musical Landscape’ at the annual UWI ‘Philip Sherlock Lecture’.

​Hon. Lady Hall, M. Art Ed., BFA
Director MUJF

Hon. Lady Hall (formerly Rheima Claire Scarlett), wife of former Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall was an Alister McIntyre Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies, Mona between 2002 and 2006.

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and a Master of Art Education Degree from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.  She also has certificates in Education from Mico College and certificates in Marketing and Public Relations.

Among her past Positions held are the following: First Principal of Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Principal of Hillel Academy High School, Head of Art Dept – Kingston College, Jamaica College, Stone Mountain High School (Atlanta Georgia), Cultural Officer Telephone Company of Jamaica, President of Woman Inc., President of Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (University Council of Jamaica) Council Member (University of the West Indies, Mona) Council Member (University of Technology) Chairman of National Parent Support Commission and Deputy Board Chairman (Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts).

Lady Hall is an accomplished artist who has had several solo exhibitions of paintings, photographs and ceramic pieces.  Her work can be found in many company collections such as Jamaica Producers Group, American Home Insurance Company, and Alberga Graham Jamaica Limited.  Outside of Jamaica, collections of her work are to be found in Trinidad, Barbados, United Kingdom, Germany, France, United States of America and Canada. Her publications include ‘Proposal for a National Tertiary Education System for Jamaica’, Ian Randle Publishers, 2004; and ‘Revisiting Tertiary Education Policy in Jamaica: Towards Personal Gain or Public Good? ‘.
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Currently Lady Hall is Board Member of Music Unites Jamaica Foundation, the United Theological College /UWI Mona, Chalice Bearer and Lay Reader - Anglican Church and Hon. Member Lions Club.

​Dr. Carlton Davis, ​CD, OJ, LLD (honoris causa)
Director MUJF

Dr. The Hon. Carlton Earl Davis, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of Jamaica Public Service, received his tertiary education as the Jamaica Agricultural Scholar at McGill University (1960), majoring in Soil Chemistry; and at the University of the West Indies (MSc PhD Soil/Clay Mineralogy). He did his post graduate work on an extension of his scholarship (to the MSc level) and an ESSO Research Fellowship (PhD).

In 1975, Dr. Davis was appointed Director of Research and Development, Ministry of Mining and Natural Resources and with the creation of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, he became its first Executive Director, in 1976. He served that institution for 31 years: as Executive Director (1976-1989); Executive Chairman (1989-1993); and Chairman (1993-2007). He was involved in almost every major negotiation on bauxite and alumina matter between 1974 and 2007 and again since 2012.

Dr. Davis took up an appointment as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Jamaican Public Service, in 1993 and served until 2008 when he retired. He returned from retirement in 2012 to serve as a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, in the rank of Ambassador/Special Envoy.
He also was Chairman of the CHASE Fund (2003-2007 and 2012-2016) and Chairman of the National Library (2012-2016).

​The Hon. Marigold Harding, CD, JP
Director MUJF

President of the St. Andrew Justices of the Peace Association (SAJP), Marigold Harding was born in Fairy Hill, Portland, and was trained as a medical technologist at the University of the West Indies. She worked for five years as chief laboratory technician at Andrews Memorial Hospital and at the Goldstein Medical Center in New York.

Later became a paralegal, and has worked in her husband's law firm for the past years. Mrs. Harding is the wife of the former President of the Senate, Professor the Hon. Oswald Harding O.J. She has served St. Andrew as a JP for more than 30 years and she is also a well-known horticulturist and floral designer.

In 2010 Marigold Harding was named Custos Rotulorum for St Andrew by the Governor General and remained in that position until 2016.

She is currently Chairperson of The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; Deputy Chairperson of Council, Institute of Jamaica; Patron of The Jamaica Down's Syndrome Foundation (JDSF); and member of the board of directors of Devon House Development Company, as well as Music Unites Jamaica Foundation.
Claudja Barry
Director MUJF, International Singer and Actress ​
Accomplished music and entertainment professional with successful and diverse career as an international singer and actress.

Personal music accomplishments include singing in some of the world’s best venues (including the Verona Area. Italy, budokan hall, Tokyo, the palace, paris and studio 54 and the saint, new York City and before numerous prime ministers (including prime minister Trudeau, chancellor helmut kohl) royalty , and heads of states.

Acting performance history includes appearances in the theatre, film, television, educational videos, and commercials in the United States and abroad. On air personality for WFDU-FM 89.1 (contemporary music format).

Additional background in entrepreneurial business management and marketing as successful record producer and talent coach. 

Excellent communications and public relations abilities. 

Languages: fluent German, knowledge of some Italian and French. Extensive international and domestic travel.

Alicia Ortega-Richards, BS
Administrative Manager

​Alicia Marilyn Ortega-Richards was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. She graduated from the ‘Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado’, where she received her degree in Public Accounting (November 2006). During her thirteen years of professional experience she has developed a wide range of skills and abilities in accounting, management,tax administration and computing.

Alicia has been living in Jamaica since February 2013 and came to this wonderful island in the company of Jamaican classical guitarist Shawn Richards, with whom she is married and has a beautiful daughter.

Although she is not a professional musician, her whole life has been surrounded by music as her father, her younger brother and several members of her family are born musicians. Her love for this beautiful art has been with her since birth and will always be present in her life.

Joel Moder
Publicist & Editor

Joel Moder was born in Austria and grew up in Kingston Jamaica, in the household of a most musical family. His father Peter Ashbourne is a well accomplished composer, and his mother Rosina Moder a passionate recorder player, as well as music educator and researcher.

Joel is a Writer, Musician and Producer with over fifteen years experience as a performing Pianist in Jamaica. Specializing in world building and screenwriting, Joel has led concept development and copywriting on projects for such companies as Red Stripe, Pepsi, Umbro and Scotiabank. He is the Game Writer at indie Game Studio JusDevStudios and is currently working to model three racoons in a trench coat.

Joel Moder has been in charge of editing all forms of publications produced by Music Unites Jamaica Foundation since its inauguration and plays a key role in refining each of the feature stories written on the life and works of Jamaican composers.

​Joel spends his free time reading, writing and gaming, and is strongly considering getting a cat.

Janine “Jkuhl” Coombs, BMus
Researcher & Assistant

Janine Coombs, popularly known by her artiste pseudonym Janine Jkuhl (pronounced Jay-Cool), born in Kingston Jamaica, is a beatific musician, Indie-Alternative-Fusion Singer-Songwriter, Recording Artiste, Music Publicist and Music Researcher.

Janine attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Studies (Honours) at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Jamaica, where she studied Jazz, Classical and Jamaican Popular music.

She has been a recipient of the MUZAK Heart and Soul Foundation Music Summer Camp, held in Los Angeles, U.S.A.; The Edna Manley College School of Music Honour Roll Recital award; The Edna Manley College Arts Foundation Scholarship; The 2020 Sama Sama Bali Residency held in Bali Indonesia; The Catapult Caribbean Creative Online Grant 2020, and has been guest speaker on numerous local and international panels relating to cultural and creative industries.

Janine has been featured on the global news network CNN “The Voices of The Pandemic” reaching over 60 million people worldwide, as well as featured on other international and local television and radio programs. Her love of different music genres can be heard fused in her albums “Star Gaze” (2009) and “Sweet Sway” (2020).

​Janine Coombs has a strong passion for researching many avenues of music, and as such at the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation she is an assistant and researcher documenting the life and works of Jamaican composer, aiding in the preservation, education, honing and building of the Jamaican musical heritage.

Niesha Brown, BA (Hons.)
Graphic Designer & Web Developer

Niesha Brown is a graphic designer and web developer with a passion for philanthropy and the arts. She graduated from the University of the West Indies in 2016, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Production (Honours). With over ten years of professional experience, she has developed a wide range of skills in the field of web design, graphics, and photography.

Niesha loves to travel and meet new people and has worked with brands all across the beautiful island of Jamaica, as well as with companies from Germany, Canada, Austria, and Unites States of America. She takes pride in her work and ability to meet deadlines. She is secretly a nerd who spends hours of her time scouring the internet for the latest advances in technology related to her work.

​Niesha’s passion for the arts attracted her to the vison of the Music Unites Jamaica Foundation where her talents allowed her to assist in creating new projects and show her organisational ability.