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John Smoot, a James Monroe graduate, overcomes a lifetime of obstacles to earn a full scholarship to Emory & Henry
Date published: 6/11/2008 By JONAS BEALS
JONAS BEALS
Fredericksburg's James Monroe High School is the 29th school John Smoot has attended. At 18, he already has lived in 38 different states. John and his two brothers careened around the country with their single mother as she searched for work and a place to sleep. Job to job, sofa to sofa, shelter to shelter. To put it bluntly, they were homeless. "All you do is count the schools," John said. "It's not the easiest way to grow up." John's family found stability in Fredericksburg, where they've lived for five years, and he considers himself lucky to have spent his entire high school career in one place. On Friday, he will receive his diploma. This fall, he'll attend Emory & Henry College on a full scholarship. John knows his success has a lot to do with hard work, determination and support from everyone around him. If you press him, he will admit something unexpected: He was saved by a saxophone. John was 13 when he first heard the instrument. "I was walking down a hallway at school when I heard it," he said. "I fell in love with it. It was really the first instrument I'd heard. Ever since then, I've practiced sax at least six hours a week. To be honest, I'll play it before I pick up a textbook." A love for the tenor saxophone morphed into a general infatuation with music. John considers himself proficient on 16 instruments, and he has solid vocal chops, as well. He has even tried his hand at conducting, something he enjoys a great deal. "When you play music, you appreciate things more. You understand more. It makes things clear," John said. "You will find more passion in the quality of a voice than you will in a textbook." For John, music is music--there are no genres or boundaries. He was a member of the marching band, the concert band and multiple jazz bands, including the St. George's Episcopal Church jazz band. He will jam with anyone, anytime. "I just try to suck in as much music as I can," he said. "If it deals with music, I will do it. My goal is not to further myself in music, but to further music itself." A typically lofty goal for John, but he's already proved his ability to exceed expectations.
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 6/11/2008
I also know "Smoot" from the St. George's Jazz group. This is a great story about an individual's ability to pull himself up by the bootstraps and the collective capibility of our society to support his endeavors. I only wish that our society in general could be more supportive of each other in order to nurture more "Smoots"
I'm in the Jazz Ensemble Choir at St. George's. John is so
polite, but quiet. I had no idea he was into so much, or that
he'd had the life he's had. Best of luck to a really talented
young man.
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