Losing my grandfather was an experience that permanently reshaped who I am. Thursday, September 21st, 2017, was the day my life would be changed forever. I was in 5th grade, and at the time my grandfather had fallen and had been hospitalized. I came home from school that day, thinking it would be another normal day, when all of a sudden, my mother sat me down and told me "Son, I have something to tell you." A million thoughts and ideas rushed through my head, though I was oblivious as to what could've happened. Was I talking too much in class? Did I get a bad score on a test? What did I do? After 10 seconds of silence, she eventually broke the news to me that my grandfather had passed away. More silence filled the room until I broke it and asked, "What happened? I thought he was doing fine." My mother explained every detail in chronological order, leading to his passing. Hearing the person who served as a father figure in my life slowly deteriorate shattered my heart. Though my mom told me this, we both didn't start crying until we realized we didn't get to go to one last monster truck show with him. As expected, the following weeks weren't easy: from having to make up work from skipping school to attending my grandfather's funeral—everything unfolded so chaotically. Nothing could compensate for the emptiness I felt following his death, and the only thing that could somewhat help me cope was the piano, since it reminded me of my grandfather and the old one he had in his house. Growing up without my father present in my life was already tough enough, so having my grandfather serve as that role was enough to satisfy me as a child. For the longest time, I used his death as a way to excuse my lack of motivation. While I was coping through everything, my mother was struggling mentally and financially. Fighting in court to maintain ownership of her father's house (a.k.a my grandfather’s house) was not easy, and as a result she had to put a stop to my piano lessons in 2019. Despite this being 2 years after my grandfather's passing, this left me feeling unmotivated again. For a while I wondered what I wanted to do with my life, until I realized I wanted to continue to play the piano. Though my grandfather's passing still affects me to this day, it has taught me many things. In particular, it taught me to stay persistent in times of hardship and lead with purpose. Since then, I’ve applied the lessons I’ve learned to my work life and my personal life, especially to my music and academic goals, by dedicating myself to every project. Whether it’s producing a song or practicing the piano, I don’t just do it for myself, I do it for my family, specifically for my grandfather, and to make those who are going through loss feel seen. I do what I do to make him proud because no matter how old I am, he will always be smiling, watching from above—proud.

Music has always been an enormous source for me. It begins with something huge; it changes things; it overrides boundaries between people. So, I have been loving music ever since I can recall. I have tried music as a child in every form imaginable—dancing, listening, and so on. But then there was something special about piano music. It’s not just an aural experience—I experience how music can sometimes convey emotions that words can’t. I began piano lessons in fourth grade and enjoyed it without realizing I would apply it to music production. At an early stage, I appreciated learning discipline and skills, but due to financial difficulties, I had to quit. Years went by, and after acquiring my own piano, I began again. I attempted composition and impro and realized I enjoyed music production as an art, giving me a career option that lets me integrate creativity with my technical skills and develop sound that moves people. It all began with a moment from a physics project my junior year of high school. A common task in music production—to change the tempo of a song—opened doors for me. I dived into digital audio workstations and sampling. I experienced the high of music production. Since then, I have known that I wanted to spend my life making music; it will be more than just my career; it will be my gateway to enabling people and creating meaningful experiences for them. The road thus far has not been smooth. To be raised in a low-income single-parent family meant scarcity and an uncertain future. Yet these challenges have fostered resilience, hard work, and dedication—traits I have brought with me on every project. These experiences have also encouraged me to make a difference within my community. At my hometown food bank, I volunteered my time because I wanted to aid food distribution to local families. I served on my high school student council because I wanted my voice and my peers' voices to be heard. These experiences have reinforced with me the value and impact of giving and have encouraged me to make music that impacts and unites people. But challenges and my commitment to music have transformed me. Music production for me goes beyond music and lyrics. It becomes an instrument for making an impact on the world and encouraging creativity and communities. My name is Duvon Jones, and I look forward to continuing my journey and making an impact with music.

Growing up, I always felt excluded: alienated. This was mainly due to the fact that I was that eccentric, mixed-black kid growing up in a predominantly Hispanic and White area (Phoenix, Arizona). Add on the fact that I had a speech impediment, it was extremely hard to make friends and find people who related to me. I had many interests, but it was very difficult for me to explore those interests due to one thing: finances. With money-related problems buried in the back of my mind, I always found myself gravitating towards the piano, which would end up playing a big role in my choosing a major. It all started when I fiddled with an old, detuned piano at my grandfather's house. I don't know why, but I always found the sound that it made intriguing, so I asked my mom to let me take piano lessons, and surprisingly, she said yes. I started taking piano lessons in 2016, and I always found myself wanting to learn more. However, in 2019, all that came to a halt when my mom told me I would no longer be taking piano lessons. To this day, I never knew why my mom stopped my lessons, but I just assumed it was due to finances. Fast forward 4 years to 2023, I found myself feeling talentless since I didn't really have any extracurriculars at the time, so I asked my mom for a new piano so I could start relearning it, and my wish was granted. Even though I had forgotten a lot of the technical skills I was taught, deep down inside of me, I still knew I had that spark for the piano. Though I struggle to read sheet music, I found myself using the piano for therapeutic reasons. This would lead to me learning how to produce music, leading to my majoring in Music Production. Despite all of these hardships, I found myself wanting to help people out and contribute to the well-being of others. I often missed out on free time to help out my Grandfather, Aunt, and mom. However, I found it fun and confidence-boosting to know that I'm helping someone out, specifically my family members. In addition to that, I was a student council member at my school, so a lot of the time I went to high school night events and promoted my school to middle school students, and helped plan events. In my free time, I would volunteer at my local food bank, helping feed those in need. Many questioned why I did it, but it brought comfort to me knowing that I was helping people who were going through similar challenges that I endured in the past. After college, I plan to use my skills in music production to make music for those who feel unheard, just like I once did. With that being said, my name is Duvon Jones, and thank you for listening to my story.