North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Department of Music student Jawan Davidson was awarded a $10,000 scholarship by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective (BMC) and Amazon Music’s Your Future Is Now initiative.
The scholarship for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offers them an opportunity to learn all facets of the music industry. Davidson is among three students selected nationally. To be considered for the honor, students must submit their college transcripts, a personal statement, a video showcasing their creativity and a letter of recommendation.
“This is a huge honor to be selected; it’s truly a dream come true,” Davidson said. “This scholarship is a testament to how far I’ve come in my personal life and academic career.”
Recipients also will participate in a two-week immersive rotation program with Amazon Music, which will provide a detailed look at their chosen field of work.
Davidson, a senior voice student majoring in jazz studies, developed his love for music as a young child performing in school plays and in an after-school choir. He is now a member of NCCU’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
“Jawan has the kind of passion you can't manufacture; he has that fire-in-the-belly passion for the arts,” said associate professor of music Lenora Helm Hammonds. “It is a joy to teach Jawan. His hunger for producing quality work and love for music is apparent in his continued success.”
Davidson credits Helm Hammonds with being an inspirational figure during his academic career.
“Professor Helm Hammonds has been persistent and motivating in getting me to share my own interpretation of song and dance,” Davidson said. “I want to inspire the world by sharing personal experiences in art forms that transcend in different genres of music including jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul and pop.”
The Harlem native’s love for music goes beyond traditional music forms. In 2019, he participated in a new outreach program by Carolinas District of the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Barbershop Revival that introduced traditional barbershop singing to students in NCCU’s Department of Music.
Davidson is an Ella Fitzgerald Memorial Scholar in Jazz at NCCU from the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation.
