Greensburg, LA — Jeremiah Travis, a talented 5-year old drummer from Louisiana, has already been awarded a full scholarship to Alcorn University that he can take advantage of when he graduates from high school in 2032!
Now, Travis, a kindergartner, is playing as a snare drummer with a band at St. Helena College and Career Academy even though he is at least 10 years younger than his bandmates. He usually plays with the group during New Orleans Pelicans basketball games and does halftime performances.
After about 13 years, Travis has the opportunity to play in the Sounds of Dyn-o-Mite band at Alcorn State University. And it has definitely made his mother, Nicole Jackson, proud.
“To know that he is five and has a full scholarship made me feel so good. I am just amazed at his playing level with him being so young,” Jackson told USA Today.
Chesteron Frye, the band director at St. Helena College and Career Academy, said that aside from Travis’ impressive skills, his work ethics are also a stand-out. He said, “He’s 5 years old but he’s always working on his skills. Any free time in the band room or when we go on break, he’s drumming on the floor, getting other drummers to come and just asking them ‘can we play, can we play.'”
Brandon Dorsey, the percussion instructor at Travis’ school said the young prodigy has an initiative and he doesn’t have to ask him to do anything.
“He is just zoned in. Sometimes, I don’t teach him a part because I think he might not be able to play it. Next thing you know, we start playing a cadence, he just starts playing it and I’m amazed. I don’t force him to do things because he is five years old. Sometimes, I have to revamp myself and remember that he is so young. What he has, it is God’s gift,” he said.