Eastman School of Music<\/a> says. \u201cI want to win competitions, perform in famous halls under major conductors, and show the world my heart through my craft. I want to be great.\u201d<\/p>\nThose are big dreams for someone who didn\u2019t start playing the viola until four years ago, but Jackson is used to overcoming challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy family wasn\u2019t very good at settling down and staying put for long, largely because of our financial situation,\u201d he says. They moved eight times. \u201cSaying goodbye to close friends became second nature to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one in his family has ever attended college, and most people in his circle of family and friends have never left their native states. Jackson, who spent most of his youth in Texas, is driven to expand his boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always had dreams about traveling, continuing my education, and pursuing more for myself,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He chose to take up viola his first year of high school, mainly because he wanted to play an instrument (he had taken some violin lessons in sixth grade) and his school orchestra needed more violists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved it immediately,\u201d he says. \u201cThe viola has a rich, dark, gorgeous tone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson\u2019s music teacher suggested he attend a summer camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in northwest Michigan before his senior year of high school. He jumped at the chance and says \u201cI loved it so much, I didn\u2019t want to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, he didn\u2019t. Jackson successfully auditioned for a spot in the academy\u2019s senior class and received about 90 percent of a full scholarship. He raised the rest through a GoFundMe page, moved 1,400 miles from home, and never looked back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always felt a strong sense of independence, so I didn\u2019t think twice about it,\u201d says Jackson, whose musical idol is violinist Hilary Hahn. \u201cI was blessed to able to attend Interlochen. I took every opportunity given to me and made the most out of every day I was on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson\u2019s viola teacher at Interlochen was Renee Skerik \u201887E (BM).<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me about Eastman\u2019s amazing faculty and all of the successful musicians that graduate from the school,\u201d Jackson says. \u201cWhen I walked into Kodak Hall on my visit, it was just breathtaking. It was one of the most beautiful things I\u2019d ever seen. I couldn\u2019t get it out of my head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Skerik says Jackson is \u201ca super motivated, high energy and very disciplined student,\u201d with unlimited potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cI foresee Adrian achieving his dream of being a professional violist in the top echelon of the music field,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Jackson wasn\u2019t always as self-assured as he is now. He says that during his audition for Eastman, he was \u201cthe most nervous I\u2019ve ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past, he sometimes stood in the way of his own dreams.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always lacked confidence and didn\u2019t believe I had what it takes to get into a school like this,\u201d he says. \u201cI was scared I wouldn\u2019t be able to keep up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t doubt himself anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of what I\u2019ve accomplished, and so is my family,\u201d says Jackson, who will be studying with professor of viola George Taylor. \u201cI\u2019m the first one to go to college. I grew up knowing I didn\u2019t want to stay in Texas. I wanted to pursue higher education and learn as much about my craft as I could. Now, I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
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