Chance Lawson started out playing tenor saxophone in fifth grade, but his love for music stems far beyond the first time he picked up an instrument.
Chance’s story
kAm{2HD@?[ 2 z:?8DA@CE ?2E:G6 2?5 s@3J?D\q6??6EE 8C25F2E6[ @H?D 2?5 @A6C2E6D |2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3 2E af J62CD @=5] {@42E65 2E `_f t] |2C<6E $E][ :? 5@H?E@H? z:?8DA@CE[ |2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3 :D 2 =:DE6?:?8 C@@> 2?5 366C 32C H:E9 =:G6 >FD:4 2?5 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 6G6CJ ?:89E]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 3@C? :?E@ 2 >FD:42= 72>:=J] {2HD@? 8C6H FA 2C@F?5 9:D >@E96C[ H9@ H2D 2 }2D9G:==6 C64@C5:?8 2CE:DE H9@ H@F=5 C64@C5 :? 96C 9@>6 DEF5:@[ 2?5 9:D 8C2?572E96C[ 2? @=5 4@F?ECJ >FD:4:2? ?2>65 #65 z:C<]k^Am
kAm{2HD@? A:4<65 FA E96 5CF>D 2?5 8F:E2C :? 9:89 D49@@=[ 3FE 9:D C62= A2DD:@? 7@C >FD:4 DAFCC65 7C@> 36:?8 :?G@=G65 :? 32?5D 2E 9:D =@42= 49FC49] p7E6C 8C25F2E:@?[ 96 3682? E@ AFCDF6 >FD:4 2D 9:D 7F== 42C66C 27E6C ECJ:?8 @FE 4@==686 7@C 2 H9:=6[ H9:49 :D H92E =65 9:> E@ H96C6 96 4FCC6?E=J :D E@52J 2D 2 G@42=:DE 2?5 8F:E2C:DE 7@C 2 =@42= 32?5[ s@??:6 2?5 E96 sCJ w62G6CD]k^Am
kAm“~?6 32?5 =65 E@ E96 ?6IE 32?5 2?5 H6 H@F?5 FA H:E9 E96 8C@FA H6 ?@H 92G6 2D s@??:6 2?5 E96 sCJ w62G6CD[” D2:5 {2HD@?] “(6’G6 366? @? E@FC 2?5 A=2J65 =@42= 2?5 C68:@?2= 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD[ 2?5 C62==J H2E4965 @FC D46?6 C6\56G6=@A]”k^Am
kAm~? 2? 2G6C286 52J[ {2HD@?’D AC:>2CJ H@C< DE2CED 2C@F?5 bib_ A]>] %96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 H66< 4@?D:DED @7 D6?5:?8 @FE 6>2:=D 2?5 E6IED[ FA52E:?8 D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 DE@4<:?8 E96 D96=G6D] %96 C6DE @7 E96 H66< :D <66A:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 E:5J[ AC6A2C:?8 7@C 32?5 D6EFA 2?5 FA52E:?8 >6?FD]k^Am
kAm{2HD@? H@C<D 2=@?8 2 D>2== E62> @7 c\d @E96C 32CE6?56CD E92E 96=A >2:?E2:? E96 G6?F6[ 6DA64:2==J H96? 96 :D EC2G6=:?8 H:E9 9:D @H? 32?5] w6 D92C65 E96C6’D ?6G6C C62==J 2?J :DDF6D :? 9:D 23D6?46 3642FD6 E96 3FD:?6DD :D D@ D6=7\DFDE2:?:?8]k^Am
kAm“%96 6?6C8J :? 96C6 :D A6CA6EF2=] xE 7665D E96 >@?DE6C 2?5 E96 >@?DE6C <66AD @? 8@:?8[” {2HD@? 25565]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8m%96 DE2CE @7 |2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmq6:?8 D@ 24E:G6=J :?G@=G65 :? E96 =@42= >FD:4 D46?6 H2D @?6 @7 {2HD@?’D 5C:G:?8 A@:?ED E92E :?DA:C65 9:> E@ @A6? |2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3] w6 D2H E96 A@E6?E:2= @7 E96 6>AEJ DA246 5@H?E@H? 2?5 H2?E65 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ >2<6 9:D :562 2 C62=:EJ] (:E9 E96 96=A 2?5 :?G6DE>6?E 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ {2HD@? H2D 23=6 E@ <:4<DE2CE E96 AC@;64E 2?5 @A6? 7@C 3FD:?6DD[ H9:49 96 56D4C:365 2D 2 “3=6DD65 G6?EFC6” 7C@> E96 DE2CE]k^Am
kAm“xE D66>D =:<6 D@>6E9:?8 E92E D9@F=5 36 D@ 5:77:4F=E E@ 5@[ 6DA64:2==J :? E9:D E@H?[ 92D ;FDE 366? 3=6DD65 6G6CJ DE6A @7 E96 H2J[” {2HD@? D92C65] “tG6CJ E:>6 E92E x 4@>6 24C@DD D@>6E9:?8 x ?665 C6D@FC46D 7@C E92E x 5@?’E 92G6[ E96 E62> 677@CE C62==J 4@>6D :?E@ A=2J 2?5 C6D@FC46D D9@H FA]”k^Am
kAm%96:C 52:=J 6?E6CE2:?>6?E :?4=F56D @A6? >:4 ?:89ED[ A6C7@C>2?46D 7@C =@42= 2?5 C68:@?2= E2=6?E[ G:?J= ?:89ED 2?5 A@A\FA D9@AD] pCE:DED DF49 2D y! !2CD@?D[ $2> u@DE6C[ q6E9 $?2AA[ q@33J $E2C?6D[ q6??J (:=D@? 2?5 "F6?E:? 2C6 2>@?8 D@>6 @7 E96 >2?J >FD:4:2?D H9@ 92G6 >256 2AA62C2?46D 2E E96 G6?F6] qFE 6G6? :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2CE:DED 7C@> A=246D =:<6 pFDEC2=:2 2?5 }6H +62=2?5 92G6 7@F?5 E96:C H2J E@ E96 D6=7\AC@4=2:>65 “9@=6 :? E96 H2==” G6?F6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ {2HD@?]k^Am
kAmw6 E62C7F==J D92C65 9@H E92?<7F= 96 92D 366? 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ DFAA@CE E9C@F89@FE E96 7:CDE J62C @7 @A6C2E:@? 2?5 9@H 2>2K:?8 :E 92D 366? E@ H2E49 :E 8C@H]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 5@?6 H92E 925 E@ 36 5@?6 E@ 86E :? 96C6[ 3FE x 92G6 5@?6 D@ >F49 =6DD E92? 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6 H9@ 92D 96=A65 >6 AFE E9:D E@86E96C[” {2HD@? D2:5] “xE :D D@ >F49 >@C6 @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ 677@CE[ E9:D A=246[ E92? 2?JE9:?8 x 6G6C 4@F=5 92G6 5@?6 D:?8=6 92?565=J] xE :D E96 >@DE 362FE:7F= E9:?8 x’G6 6G6C 366? 2 A2CE @7]”k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8m{@@<:?8 E@H2C5 E96 7FEFC6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAm|2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3 H:== 46=63C2E6 :ED 7:CDE @77:4:2= J62C @7 @A6C2E:@? :? yF=J[ 2?5 {2HD@? H2?ED E@ 42CCJ E92E 6?6C8J :?E@ :ED D64@?5 J62C H:E9 FA52E6D 2?5 @E96C 6I4:E:?8 FA4@>:?8 6G6?ED]k^Am
kAm#646?E=J[ {2HD@? =2F?4965 2 7F?5C2:D:?8 42>A2:8? E@ 96=A 6IA2?5 2?5 C6?@G2E6 E96 DA246 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D] %9:D H@F=5 2==@H E96 G6?F6 E@ 255 >@C6 :?5@@C D62E:?8[ 2? @FE5@@C A2E:@ H:E9 D62E:?8 2?5 FA52E6 E96 32CE@A] %96 7F?5C2:D6C 92D C624965 @G6C S`[___ :? E96 A2DE >@?E9[ H:E9 2 E@E2= 8@2= @7 Sh[___ 7@C E96 AC@;64E]k^Am
kAm{2HD@? 9:?E65 2E D@>6 FA4@>:?8 6G6?ED 7@C E96 A6@A=6 @7 z:?8DA@CE E92E H:== 36 :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 46=63C2E:?8 E96 @A6?:?8 2??:G6CD2CJ] w6 9@A6D E96 4@>>F?:EJ H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ DFAA@CE 9:D 677@CED]k^Am
kAm%@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE |2C<6E $EC66E $@4:2= r=F3[ G:D:E :ED u2463@@< A286 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u2463@@<]4@>^>2C<6EDEC66ED@4:2=<:?8DA@CE^Qmu2463@@<]4@>^>2C<6EDEC66ED@4:2=<:?8DA@CE^k^2m]k^Am