Workshop2Ensemble

​​Carlos E. Pozo, Jr. is a composer, arranger, musical director and the founder of Workshop2Ensemble. He was born and raised in Harlem, New York but lived for several years as a child in Quito, Ecuador. He is currently based in Westchester County, New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the City College of New York (CCNY).​

 

On the recommendation of a writer and fellow classmate (Victor Manuel Rosa) at the City College of New York, Pozo actively pursued Bobby Paunetto, the vibraphonist/compose/arranger to be his student. Repeatedly, Paunetto told him, "I don't take students". Pozo persisted and ultimately persuaded his soon to be treasured mentor to teach him the art of composition, arranging and improvisation. This mentorship provided direct insight into a distinctive voice within the Latin Jazz tradition and continues to inform his compositional and arranging approach.​

 

Pozo’s musical work is rooted in Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz while drawing from a broader musical continuum that includes African American funk, straight-ahead jazz, and Afro-Caribbean forms such as son montuno and salsa. His compositions reflect both a deep respect for the historical foundations of these traditions and a commitment to their continued evolution.​

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Following his academic training and several years as a professional musician and guitar teacher, Pozo pivoted and built a successful 30-year career in technology sales and consulting. It began when he read an article in the August 1985 issue of Money magazine about Protocol Devices, a South Bronx technology startup founded with a dual mission: provide an entry to latinos and blacks to a career in the high tech industry and hire from the surrounding community.​​​

 

Pozo ultimately met with the founders and was offered a sales position despite having no prior technology sales experience. He turned that opportunity into a career that included roles selling network infrastructure, enterprise hardware, software, consulting services, and business solutions for major firms including IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Veritas Software, and OpenText.​

 

After retiring, he returned to music with a renewed focus on composition, arranging, and large ensemble writing.​

 

Through Workshop2Ensemble, Pozo is developing a body of original work while also bringing renewed attention to the music of his mentor, Bobby Paunetto, including compositions that have not been widely performed or recorded.

 

His work reflects a long-term commitment to the creation, performance, and preservation of music shaped by Afro-Caribbean and African American traditions, contributing to the ongoing evolution of Latin Jazz and its related musical forms. ​​