Jazz Mexico GEO: Music, Art, and Connection

With a “¡Vamos!” and a swing of jazz, 22 students and four faculty members represented Groton’s Jazz Ensemble in a GEO (Global Education Opportunity) across Mexico this past summer. Over three weeks, the group performed jazz pieces across seven different cities while exploring Mexico’s rich cultural and artistic heritage—from marveling at the glowing streets of San Miguel de Allende to climbing the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan.

Not only did our fellow Grotonians share the joys of music and immerse themselves in the beauty of Mexico, but they also built strong bonds along the way, with the people they encountered and, ultimately, with each other. The GEO’s first concert came with plenty of nerves and few expectations.

“I was under the impression that a group of foreign teenagers would maybe draw in a crowd of maybe 10 or 20 locals,” said Morayo Olateju ’27. “Imagine my surprise when dozens of raving fans came to our venue, dancing to the music and begging for encores—a trend that lasted even until our final performance.”

The turnout transformed the group’s early uncertainty into one of the trip’s most memorable surprises. Among the various classics, swings, and cha-cha-chas the group performed, Nataly Garcia Ortiz ’29 particularly enjoyed playing “Oye Cómo Va” (Listen to How It Goes).

“It required everyone to sing along, and we added our own twist to the lyrics,” Nataly said. “I always looked forward to playing it because you could tell that the percussion group was giving it their all.”

With its “multiple heads and long solos for improvisation,” Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” became a favorite of Nikhil Luthra ’27. Despite being one of the final pieces, it was always worth the wait: “Even though I was tired from a long performance, I’d always find the energy to play this song,” said Nikhil.

Beyond the notable music, notable landmarks also struck a chord.

“The Teotihuacan pyramids are made of volcanic stone in contrasting black, red, and ash-grey hues,” said faculty member Celene Ibrahim, PhD. “The irregularly shaped blocks are offset with pebble inlays, creating a distinct texture that is mimicked in modern structures around the small touristic pueblos adjacent to the historical sites.”

The GEO offered memorable experiences in the simple moments as well. At the foot of the towering Teotihuacan pyramids, Nikhil recalls a wholesome encounter he had: “There were a few Colombian guys playing hacky sack, and Bo Huai and I simultaneously got the same idea: Ask to join them. And we did, as we bonded over soccer, culture, and just life in general.”

“Watching the rolling hills pass by outside the window and throwing water bottles at each other” during bus rides between stops was, for Morayo, one of the most memorable parts of the GEO. These tiny moments brought the group closer together, becoming just as much a part of the GEO as everything else.

While jazz brought the group to Mexico, it was one of the ways they came to grow as individuals. Through the music they shared, the landmarks they learned about and the people they met, the group gained artistic insights as well as worthy memories that they will carry with them in years to come. As Jazz Band Director Kenji Kikuchi said, those involved “had a lifetime’s worth of experience from this GEO.”