>> A LOCAL PROGRAM IS BEING HONORED BY THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE FORCE. INCREDIBLE
WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. I WANT
TO BRING IN OUR GUEST, ULYSSES
OWENS JUNIOR.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THE ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR OF DON’T MISS THE BE.
HE JOINS US ALONG WITH STUDENT
ALL-STAR MCKINLEY. TAYLOR,
GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH SO US
IT. COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT WHAT DON’T MISS A
BEAT IS ALL ABOUT SURE. SO
2008, I CAME BACK HOME FROM
NEW YORK CITY GRADUATING FROM
THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL, MY
FAMILY. AND I SAID WE WANT TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
>> SO WE FORMED A NONPROFIT
CALLED DON’T MISS A BEAT.
>> AT THAT TIME WE INTRODUCE
MUSIC, DANCE AND DRAMA TO
BASICALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
YOU KNOW, AND WE’RE REALLY
HONORED AT THAT TIME. IT WAS
THE BROOKLYN AREA, RIVERSIDE
AREA. NOW WE’RE IN THE BEAVER
STREET AREA NOW. 15 YEARS
LATER, WE’VE BEEN HONORED BY
THE NBA FOR ARE BASICALLY OUR
PROGRAMMING AND MUSICAL
THEATER AND HOW WE USE THAT TO
CHANGE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN
AND MCKINLEY. HE’S ONE OF
THOSE CHILDREN THAT’S BEEN
WITH US FOR 7, 8, YEARS. OUR
PROGRAM REALLY HELPS TO
TRANSFORM THEM AND EVEN ALLOWS
HIM TO GET SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE
COLLEGE. AND IS IT REALLY
CATERS TO THE WHOLE CHILD?
THAT’S SO AWESOME. SO JUST
RECEIVED THIS AWARD FROM THE
MAYOR’S OFFICE. COULD YOU TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? SURE.
WE’RE SO TO GET THEIR WAR FOR
MAYOR LEONARD CURRY, WHICH
BASICALLY IS FOR STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS.
>> IT WAS US AND TO OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS, THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE AND SUPPORTED US
THROUGH NOT ONLY OUR
PROGRAMMING, BUT WE HAD A JAZZ
FESTIVAL. WE HAVE A YEAR-OLD
PUBLIC ART.
>> PROJECT AND JUST THEY
BASICALLY RIGHT AROUND US AND
ANYTHING THAT WE NEED SUPPORT
EVEN FROM OUR FACILITY. AND TO
EACH OF YOU FOR IT, YOU
CENTER, THEY JUST HELP US IN
SO THAT A WAR WAS REALLY TO
TARGET AND LET PEOPLE KNOW.
HEY, WE’VE BEEN SUPPORTING
THEM AND THEY’RE ONE OF THE
TOP ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE
CITY THAT WE LOVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED
FROM THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
AND THAT’S AWESOME. I MEAN,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON’T REALLY
THINK THAT THERE IS A FUTURE
IN MUSIC THAT IS A HOBBY. SO
THE KILLING, COULD YOU JUST
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW
THIS ORGANIZATION HAS
BENEFITED BENEFITED IT’S AN
AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I THINK
THAT WANTING TO GO AND TO THE
PROFESSIONAL ROUTE FOR THE
ARTS DONA CITY HAS REALLY
HOPING SOME. SO WE DO HAVE A
PERFORMING OF DOUGHNUTS TO BE
PERFORMING, LIFT EVERY VOICE
AND SING. IT WAS AT THE MLK
JUNIOR BREAKFAST. SO WE WANT
TO PLAY THAT CLIP.
♪
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> THAT MAY BE AND I KNOW THAT
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON IS
LOOKING DOWN. HE IS SMILING
BECAUSE THAT WAS AWESOME. I
MEAN, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU
WENT TO JUILLIARD, AWESOME
SCHOOL FOR PEOPLE WANT TO GO
TO NICE, VERY HARD TO GET INTO
IS THE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHY EVEN DECIDED TO COME BACK
HOME. PROBABLY HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO OTHER
PLACES. SURE. SO I ALSO WANT
TO BE CLEAR, NOT ONLY DO I
GRADUATE FROM JUILLIARD, BUT
I’M ALSO PROFESSOR THERE. NOW
GO BACK AND FORTH TO EACH BUT
THE REASON WHY WAS IMPORTANT
TO ME IS I FEEL FIRST OF ALL,
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN.
>> ANY TIME THAT WE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE OR
WOMAN, ANY TIME THAT WE’RE
SUCCESSFUL, WE HAVE TO BRING
PEOPLE WITH US. SO FOR ME, I
WANTED TO COME BACK TO
JACKSONVILLE AND BRING THAT
COMMUNITY AND ALLOW OTHER
CHILDREN TO FIND THEIR RHYTHM
TO THE ARTS. BECAUSE FOR ME
AND I DIDN’T HAVE MUSIC OUT OF
NOWHERE WOULD BE. AND SO
THERE’S THAT COMPONENT. AND
THEN ALSO WITH DON’T MISS A
BEAT, WE REALLY BELIEVE IN
CONSERVATORY TRAINING. SO
THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
US AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. WE
LOVE WHAT THEY DO. BUT WE HAVE
VERY INTENSE ARTISTIC TRAINING
BECAUSE WE WANT OUR CHILDREN
TO SOAR AND BE ONE OF THE MOST
DYNAMIC IN THEIR INDUSTRY AND
IN THEIR FIELD WITHIN OURS.
ALL RIGHT. AND MCKINLEY LOOK
GREAT OR YOU AND I MEAN, 9 0TH
GRADE. SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE
LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? BECAUSE
YOU’VE BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM
FOR A WHILE.
>> SO I’M JUST EXCITED TO HEAR
WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE RIGHT NOW.
OF COURSE, THAT CAN ALWAYS
CHANGE YOUR YOUNG. BUT FOR
NOW, WHAT WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
FORWARD MY GOALS ARE TO GO TO
COLLEGE AND PURSUE THE ARTS. I
REALLY WANT TO DO VOCAL
PROFESSIONALLY.
>> SO BEING AT DAWN, THE CITY
RIGHT NOW IS HELPING MAKE THAT
NEXT STEP.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: AWESOME. HOW
CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED? KIDS
ARE VOLUNTEERS AND DON’T MISS
A BEAT. SO DON’T MISS A BEAT
DOWN OR WE ALSO HAVE A BIG
BROADWAY SUMMER CAMP COMING UP
WHERE ONE KIDS FINISH. THE
CAMP ARE GOING PERFORM AT THE
JACKSONVILLE CENTER FOR THE
ARTS WERE DOING. DISNEY WANTED
JUNIOR SEAU AND IS FREE, YOU
KNOW, AND AND YOU KNOW, SO
THEY CAN PARTICIPATE THAT WAY
AGAIN. DON’T WANT TO BE DOT
ORG. WE ALSO HAVE PHONE NUMBER
ON OUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA,
INSTAGRAM AS WELL. SO WE’RE
VERY EASY TO AT OUTSIDE. IT’S
EASY TO ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK