Corderius M. Webster Memorial Scholarship

My name is Ja'vion Haynes and I've loved and shared an interest in music since I was a small kid. A lot has inspired me to pursue my love for music, as well as people too. I'm from Louisville MS, a small town, so there aren't that many opportunities like this just to appear and be able to take it, and for that I'm grateful. There were a lot of people who contributed to my love and understanding of music, but I feel like I need to give all the credit to two amazing people. First is the man that taught me all I know about music, he's nobody famous but he's a great guy. My First band director Clay Fuller. Second, is a woman that I only knew for a year but she taught me the fundamentals of music. My 6th-grade band director Rachel Strong Mann. These two people deserve a lot of credit for my musical abilities. Without them I don't think I would have the knowledge of music that I'm blessed with now, or the achievements that I've gained along the way. I've grown exponentially since joining the band in middle school. I've been my section's first chair since 6th grade. I learned how to play a various amount of instruments. I learned how to sing better and project my usually soft-spoken voice. I'm the new drum major of Louisville High School. I even taught myself how to compose music by ear. I eventually want to learn how to help my fellow African-American kids, along with other kids of color, find and express their love for music like I fortunately did. Even though we are a small society in music I personally aim to reach for a goal that breaks standards. I aim to help and teach anybody that wants to pursue a passion for music. Because, if you have a love for anything as big as mine for music then you would want to share your talents with your community and the world. With all that's going on in the world right now, music has always been a safe haven for me, and I know it has been one for a lot of others too. So it would be nice to be able to give people the key to their own safe place and give them the same feeling I have when I'm around the thing that keeps me full.