Deron

“Music is a beautiful thing that can change a person's life,” Deron says, “and I am honored that it has changed mine.”   

“He has been playing the violin and drums publicly since at least third grade. By the seventh grade, he “found my dream career as a music producer/record label manager.” Put another way, Deron says that “my life is music.”

Described by teachers as curious, determined and a dedicated learner, he has taken college classes through Howard University, Barnard College and Hudson Community College. 

He’s been known to put his own stamp on class assignments, one teacher said, while still demonstrating mastery of the course. And, of course, he has incorporated his love and knowledge of music in his schoolwork. One teacher wrote that “for a presentation on the graphic memoir Persepolis, he created a song that analyzed the characterization of the protagonist and major themes of the text.” Another teacher recalled Deron’s final project for a U.S. History course, in which he explored the history and controversies of hip-hop music. “It remains one of the most original and engaging projects that any student has put together at our school,” the teacher wrote, “and another perfect example of Deron’s balance of both academic brilliance and out-of-the-box thinking.” 

Attributes like these earned Deron a trip to Italy last summer that was offered through his school’s partnership with the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation. “It was a well-earned reward,” his teacher said, “and an amazing opportunity for a student who clearly deserved it and many other accolades.”

A teacher that has made the greatest difference in my life is my 7th grade music teacher Miss Diana Lambert. She introduced me to digital music production through the school's computer and digital audio workstation, which inspired me to choose a career as a music producer due to all the fun that I was having. I wish she can see how much progress I have made in the music industry thus far and I know that she would be proud.