Two Murrah High students, who until recently were also enrolled in the Power APAC strings music program, have been accepted and are attending the Interlochen Arts Academy, a world premier fine arts residential high school in Interlochen, Michigan. They are Daniel A. Parker, 16, son of Jeffery and Debra Parker, and William Garfield Walker, 17, son of Romaine Richards Walker and William Walker. Both students will study music at the academy.
"To have not one but two students in one year accepted into this prestigious residential school speaks highly of the arts education provided in the APAC program," said Dr. Cynthia Smith, Power APAC principal. "We have nurtured and helped to provide these young men with a strong foundation for success. We are very proud of their achievements and look forward to following their future success. We, of course, look forward to their return to Power APAC when they come home to Jackson and to their sharing their new experiences with students and faculty."
Along with providing students with arts instruction in music, dance, theatre arts and visual arts, APAC faculty help students further their arts education through acceptance into summer and residential programs such as Interlochen. "To take a line from a popular song, we really to strive to be the wind beneath their wings," Smith added. "Nothing thrills us more than for us to be the launching pad for future successes such as this."
Parker has studied violin since age 5 and been the recipient of many awards including All State, All City, Performance awards, and many other honors. He was a member of several local orchestras, including the Power APAC, Belhaven College and Community, and Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of Anderson United Methodist Church where he has performed with the ensemble there. Daniel is the grandson of the late Warren and Edna Gladney of Moss Point and the late Everitt and Doris Parker of Jackson.
Walker is an accomplished cellist who has performed locally and regionally with several orchestral and chamber groups. He was the principal cellist for All State Strings Orchestra 2008-2009, Belhaven College and Jackson Community Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra, Hinds Community College, and the APAC program. He was a member of the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra and performed with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra's Bravo III Concert in 2009. Among his achievements, Walker, at the age of 16, was the youngest cellist to perform with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. He also is an accomplished saxophonist and has performed with the Murrah High School Marching and Symphonic Bands. He studied with Bennett Randman, principal cellist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.
Walker won numerous science and reading fair awards while attending Jackson Public Schools. His love for history is evidenced by his having received the highest score in statewide Subject Area Testing for History in 2009.
Interlochen Arts Academy attracts more than 500 young artists from 40 states and 15 countries. Together, they study music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing and motion picture arts in a college-like setting. While producing more than 250 artistic presentations in the school year, Academy students also master rigorous college-preparatory academics that prepare them to take prominent roles in any professional endeavor.
The Arts Academy was founded in 1962 to provide year-round training in the arts coupled with challenging and comprehensive college-preparatory academics. This combination has resulted in sustained achievement in arts and academics. Since the school was established, it has produced 40 Presidential Scholars, a record unmatched by any school in the United States, public or private. Alumni include singer-songwriter Jewel, actress Felicity Huffman, jazz drummer Peter Erskine and car designer Bill Zheng. More than ten percent of the nation's orchestral musicians can claim roots at either Interlochen Arts Camp or Academy. Since 1958, 89 Grammy Awards have been presented to Interlochen Camp or Academy alumni.