Joy of Music School violin student London recently shared the stage with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma as part of an extraordinary experience in Knoxville.

The occasion was Return to Your Roots, a festival in late May that was organized by the remarkable Kim Smith, who has two kids in our School, and presented by Our Common Nature, a weeklong celebration of Appalachian voices. We are so grateful for the Smith family’s kindness in sharing indigenous culture, tradition, and food with the community, and for inviting a fellow Joy of Music School student to perform.

The Yo-Yo Ma performance took place at the UT Mound, a sacred Cherokee site revered for nearly 2,000 years. In addition to our student London and Yo-Yo Ma, the Raven Rock Dancers performed. “I was so excited to get this amazing opportunity to hear Yo-Yo Ma perform and actually play my violin at the same event,” says London. Adds her mother, Melanie: “We are so thankful that London has been able to have consistent instruction in violin over the past seven years.”

Opportunities like these are the result of the hard work and dedication of many people and could not be possible without our volunteers who provide access to high-quality music education and mentoring. London’s violin teacher, Dr. Miro Hristov, is a tenured professor at the University of Tennessee who volunteers his time to teach students at the Joy of Music School.