Grammy-winning artist in Rock Hill on Saturday

“They are excited about it,” said Mark Yost, director of the Northwestern Clinic Jazz band. “It's rare that a high school student gets to share the stage with a Grammy winner.”

The Herald recently spoke with O'Farrill from his home in New York.

Why is it important to you to teach clinics and workshops to young people?

You are not a musician until you teach. Music is an art form, and a really refined artist has an obligation to leave what they know behind to impact a young mind. You can't take it with you, so you have to give it away.

Tell me about your father, Arturo Chico O'Farrill.

My father was considered one of the founders of modern Afro-Cuban jazz. I understood on some level that he was famous. That kind of stuff doesn't impress a young man. He can be a brain surgeon or an astronaut; he's still dad.

He was a fine composer. He cared about his work. That's a very important lesson to me today. Your work reveals your character. It's a direct reflection of the human being you are. He instilled in me the desire to be the very best musician I could be.

Do you have children?

Yes, two lovely sons, ages 14 and 17. Both are incredible musicians. I really enjoy young people. I think young people are extremely cool. We tend to sell them short.

Describe modern Afro-Cuban jazz.

It's a form of jazz that acknowledges the roots of jazz. It re-unifies the two forces of jazz: Cuba and New Orleans.

What was it like to win a Grammy Award this year for best Latin Jazz Album?

That is crazy to me because the work we are doing is the same we've been doing. I'm honored because we were up against artists with bigger labels. We are a tiny record company; we were up against major corporate funding.