In this compelling personal story, Grammy award pianist and global jazz ambassador, Danilo Perez shares his experiences and lessons from his father's unorthodox use of music as a studying tool for many academic subjects as a child, to the surprising lessons learned from colaborating with jazz legends as a consolidated artist. These experiences gathered throughout his long carrer have led him to the firm conviction that global jazz has the power to break down barriers in the global dialogue while at the same time creating life changing opportunities for individuals to overcome the obstacles of poverty.

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) celebrates it's 5 year anniversary. The BGJI focuses on developing artists of the 21st century through artistry at the highest level contributing to social change, based on the strong belief that with talent comes responsibility. Mentors of this program include Artistic Director, Danilo Pérez, Managing Director, Marco Pignataro, and artists in residence such as John Patitucci and Joe Lovano.

In the third of a series of videos to feature Berklee faculty and administrators talking about the value of a music education, Berklee Global Jazz Institute artistic director Danilo Pérez discusses how music teaches students "to harmonize life," traversing otherwise impenetrable borders. The Global Jazz Institute combines academics and real-life experiences to prepare students to be great human beings as well as great artists.

The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) traveled to West Africa as a cultural exchange initiative which included concerts, workshops, and interaction with local musicians. BGJI students and faculty share their life changing experiences with us.