Students at seven schools around the city will have an opportunity to learn more about jazz and social justice, as they study the works and advocacy of a son of Bedford-Stuyvesant: legendary drummer Max Roach.

“There’s the rigor of the musicianship and the tradition. And then there’s also the rigor of the social justice work and just what Max Roach stood for in terms of just civil rights and human rights,” Paul Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the arts office at NYC Public Schools, said.

What You Need To Know

• A pilot program will start at seven schools around the city to teach students about jazz and social justice

• Legendary drummer Max Roach grew up and attended public schools in Bed-Stuy

• Students will learn from professional musicians and perform at Barclay’s Center in the spring

It’s a new pilot program being launched by The Social Justice Fund, in collaboration with the Fund for New York City Public Schools and the public school system’s arts office.

Students in the pilot will study a curriculum built in collaboration with Roach’s estate and the organization Jazz House Kids. They’ll get coaching by professional musicians, and put on a performance at Barclay’s Center in the spring.

“Students will have the ability to study his compositions, reflect on his activism and find their voice in the process. That’s what jazz does. It teaches you to listen, to lead and to lift up others,” Melissa Walker, president of Jazz House Kids, said.

The program will begin in six high schools and one middle school: I.S. 318, where Jasmine Britt is the music director.

“I’m always a big fan of our students getting the real deal from real artists, right? Our school really prides itself on community partnerships and knowing that Max Roach is from our community, we’re right on the border between Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy. So it’s really like homecoming for us,” Britt said.

Students at her school say it’s an exciting opportunity.

“I would like to learn like different, more styles of jazz,” student Olin Kronish said.

“Something I’m interested in is definitely learning how to improvise better. Since hearing them play, they can improvise really well,” student Jayden Garcia said.

Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos says the pilot comes at a time when there is a lot of turbulence and division in the country.

“I just feel so incredibly privileged to work alongside leaders who truly see the importance of the arts and the opportunity that my kids have to benefit from such incredible work and such incredible partnership,” Aviles-Ramos said.

There are plans to expand the program citywide in the coming years, focusing on schools with limited arts and music programming.