Devin Bailey stepped onto the famed Carnegie Hall stage and into the spotlight. As he walked toward his chair, he looked out into the darkened theater. His grandmother was there in the front row along with the families of the other performers on the stage, but it was hard to make out the figures in the shadows. The group of high-school performers dressed in all-black attire sat down in their assigned seats and adjusted their sheet music on the stands in front of them. Bailey could feel his heart beating as nervousness and excitement both swirled in his belly. He took a breath, raised his violin into position and waited for the maestro to count off the start.
“It was beautiful,” Bailey later recalled to the Mississippi Free Press. “(The ensemble) had a really nice sound.”
Bailey played alongside some of the nation’s most talented musicians as a violinist in the Carnegie Honors Performance Series, a week-long program held in New York City from Feb. 6 to Feb. 10, 2025. The group spent four days practicing, sightseeing and networking as part of the experience—one that Bailey said inspired him and that he will never forget.
“With everything that I have seen, it will take a lot (more work and practice) to be able to do this,” Bailey said.
The student began playing strings in the eighth grade when his mother Shanquita Rowan tried to sign him up for the school band. The class was full, she instead placed him in strings, and he quickly excelled.
‘Struck a Chord’
Natchez School District String Orchestra Director Monquez Ford realized Bailey’s ability during his first year. The young musician learned about a technique called the vibrato. Ford told the students they would learn to use it later but instructed the class to spend the week practicing a different skill. Devin, amazed by how good vibrato made the instrument sound, practiced the technique each day for a week. The next week, he approached his teacher to show him the fruits of his efforts.
“He had the most beautiful vibrato that I had ever heard coming from a self-taught (student) because I didn’t teach him that,” Ford told the Mississippi Free Press. “We definitely worked on it and refined it, but it was the diligence that he took to go and learn that technique because that was something that he wanted. That always struck a chord with me about him. (It is) one of the reasons why I nominated him (for the Carnegie program).”
Ford said his student was an easy choice for the Carnegie nomination, describing his pupil as a humble but brilliant child who is immensely talented at the violin. He said Bailey shows the propensity to excel not only in playing the violin but in any challenge put before him. He takes the time to not only learn music but to master it, which shows how much he truly enjoys honing his craft. Ford, who was once a young musician himself, is excited about his young student’s honor.
“The finalists that the judges have picked (get) the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall,” Ford said. “But they also do some fun activities as well.”
The group saw the musical “Wicked” on Broadway; the students visited the Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Grand Central Station; and Bailey was able to experience New York during its picturesque snowy season.
This rare opportunity of a trip took some work for the family to pull off. Bailey and his mom raised more than $11,000 through GoFundMe to cover the expenses of the trip after the single mother’s social-media posts gained traction. Television stations, newspapers and Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson reposted the link, which added to the page’s visibility and contributed to the final amount of donations received.
“I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who donated to my son, Devin Bailey, shared his story or supported his journey in any way. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us, and we are so thankful for every one of you,” Rowan said in a Jan. 11, 2025, update on the page.
Bailey, the only Black student in the group, made friends with whom he continues to keep in touch. Since he returned, Bailey has focused on making up the work he missed at school and sending thank-you notes to those who helped support him on the trip.
“Above all, I want to thank God for His blessings and for placing such wonderful people in our path. This journey has been made possible through His grace and the love and support of so many,” Rowan continued. “Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
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