Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and bandleader Danilo Pérez founded the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) six years ago, with a focus on teaching his students about the potential of music as an instrument for social change.

In this interview at the Berklee Internet Radio Network (BIRN) studios, Pérez talked about a range of topics, including the influence of mentors such as Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, and his father; the ways in which he and his colleagues teach and aim to transform their students, and how his work with the Panama Jazz Festival has helped connect Berklee students with the Panamian community and provided education to a new generation of young musicians from his home country.

He performs with students, fellow faculty members, and guest artist Danny Rivera at the Global Jazz Summit, at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, on April 1, 2016.

https://www.berklee.edu/events/berklee-global-jazz-summit

https://www.berklee.edu/bgji