Scholar of the Week
Jocelyn Lee of Franklin Military Academy
By Janeal Downs
When Jocelyn Lee was younger, remedy drugs she was always involved in music. Many young girls aspire to be a singer, like many young boys aspire to be football players, but for Jocelyn, being in music was the only thing she could see herself doing for the rest of her life. “I always surrounded myself with music, I always sang,” Jocelyn said. “But I just never thought of myself as a singer because of my personality, because I’m really shy.” Despite this, because music is so meaningful to her, she could not see herself doing anything else. Jocelyn wants to write, play and sing her own music in order to inspire others.
The next step in accomplishing her dream is to attend a four-year institution to obtain a degree in music with a specialty in voice. Jocelyn’s top choice is the University of Richmond. She likes the fact that she could be close to the community, and the opportunity of getting one-on-one experiences with professors is appealing to her.
Jocelyn already prepares for her career in music by playing the clarinet in her school’s band, singing and performing. She is a member of her school’s acapella group, FM Stereo, and reminisces on how her teacher was impressed with her audition. With her acapella group, she has been able to do many performances. Recently they went to Fort Lee, Virginia to sing Christmas songs for the soldiers. She has also done performances for the community and her church with Psalms 38 Band.
Some of her musical inspirations are Jhené Aiko, Frank Ocean and Kanye West. She likes Kanye West because of his originality, and she considers Jhené Aiko and Frank Ocean’s music good, quality music. “I just feel like when I listen to their music, I can feel their passion,” Jocelyn said. Their music is different from main stream music. The deep topics have been able to help her through rough times, and she hopes to do the same with her own music. The genre of music she is most interested in is soul. “I want to make music that is different from the mainstream and really tells a story, has a message, and helps others express their feelings the same way my favorite artists do,” Jocelyn said.
Another one of her musical inspirations is her boyfriend who is also into music. “He really pushes me to not doubt myself,” Jocelyn said. “He’s more of an instrumentalist and I’m more of a singer, so we help each other out in that way.”
Jocelyn said despite her circumstances and the odds that are against her, she will always be determined to succeed. She can’t see herself doing anything other than music for the rest of her life. “As long as I live I will always be shooting for this goal,” Jocelyn said. “I will always dedicate my time to music, because that’s what I am most passionate about.”
