Jachai Wilmont, the Chamber orchestra freshman violist, is surprised at The Varsity with a brand new viola from the Mark Wood Foundation. It was a blessing to our family to deliver this to Jachai today, the day before Thanksgiving.

“This is the best day of my life,” was Jachai Wilmont’s response to receiving a new viola. What prompted the gift was this fall, Jachai’s viola was stolen out of his relative’s car.

Jachai started playing the viola in fourth grade and hasn’t had any formal lessons. However, his dedication is something that his classmates know all too well.

Jachai, Chelle, and Ari enjoy each other as best friends who all play the viola.

For Jachai, music has changed his world. Here is the photo of the invitation to Jachai after a workshop he did with Mark Wood to perform in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mark Wood asked Jachai to join him on stage for the MuzArt World Foundation’s concert event called “We Are Hope” in early November in Salt.
Lake City. The all-expenses paid trip included a performance on stage by 10 of Mark’s students with The Mark Wood Experience.

Mark Wood visited Elkins Pointe Middle School and heard Jachai play, and invited him to that camp this summer.

I think it is better to see Jachai’s expressions and hear what this means to him in his own words.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMlzYHNRZ2I]
By the way, my daughter Chelle helped to film part of this project.

Left to right are Dorie Griggs, Jachai and JaVair Wilmont, and Chelle Leary at the Varsity with Jachai’s new viola we brought to him from Mark Wood Foundation.

The other Thanksgiving is for my daughter’s favorite band Late Nite Reading. I posted on my Facebook yesterday how someone stole a band’s gear at a mall parking lot in Orlando. Well, friends all chipped in, and they look like they found out they have many friends.