Our student Christopher-Lawson is on a roll! Last year he auditioned for and earned spots in both the Knoxville Christian Youth Band (trumpet) and the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra (piano). And that’s not all. This busy 13-year-old, who takes trumpet lessons from our volunteer teacher Seth Hall, also has been in plays with the Knoxville Children’s Theatre, has been singing with the Knoxville Choral Society, was one of five “Rising Star” finalists in the 2020 Ace Singing Awards, was invited to sing as a guest soloist at the Overcoming Believers Church, and recently began mentoring with music professor Donald Brown at the University of Tennessee. Phew! On top of all that, he got accepted into Juilliard’s summertime Junior Jazz Academy, he has a major role in an upcoming feature film called “Marbles and Bullets,” and he appears in new public service announcement from the Knoxville YWCA. Christopher-Lawson’s mom, Muntazz, is his singing teacher. She’s a New Orleans native and a graduate of its Center for Creative Arts. Her daughter, Saiya, is also a talented musician and is taking flute lessons at the Joy of Music School. Saiya was accepted to Harvard University’s Pre-College Program for summer 2020 and will be studying American History Through Musicals. Despite all of Christopher-Lawson’s artistic endeavors, you might be surprised to know they’re not actually his most loved activity. “My favorite is tennis,” he explains. “I’ve been playing since I was 4.”

Lt. Col. Luther B. True, a U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran, served in World War II and Vietnam, ultimately landing a job in Oak Ridge at the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant. He played trumpet —including quite a few years as a member of the Babahachie Community Concert Band—and was an avid music lover.Lt. Col. True, who died this year at 93, was also kind enough to make a bequest to the Joy of Music School in his will! He left us a beautiful, gleaming silver Sonare trumpet, two excellent mouthpieces, an assortment of mutes, two first-rate trumpet cases, and a modest cash gift to help pay for music programs for kids who need it most.Lt. Col. True learned about our mission in retirement and came to visit the School back in 2012. That was when he told JoMS Executive Director Frank Graffeo about his will. Frank gratefully made a note of it, and carried on. “I’d never gotten such a message in such a way,” Frank recalls. “He knew exactly what he wanted to do. You could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He didn’t appear frail or ill back then. I expected him to outlive me! I was surprised to learn his age when he passed.” An American hero named Luther B. True did well by the School in his passing. We are charmed, thankful, and honored. If you’d like to leave the School anything in your will, we’d also be honored! Feel free to call Frank Graffeo at 865-525-6806 and he’ll be happy to talk it over with you.

What better way to tell the world you support the arts than with a Tennessee Arts Commission Arts plate on your car? Tennessee drivers can purchase Specialty License Plates in place of the normally issued plate. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plates supports the organization featured, so it’s a great opportunity to boost the cause you care about most. The Arts Plate, which Frank is attaching to his car in the photo here, supports the Tennessee Arts Commission. So do as the motto says, “Support the Arts. Bolt them to your car!” Just take your old plate to your county clerk and swap it—they will prorate your tag fees, so you don’t have to wait until your tag renewal is due. Learn more at http://tnspecialtyplates.org/