Travis Lodge: Charlemont High's musical genius

Alicia Forrest, Gleaner Writer

When Travis Lodge first sat at a keyboard, he had no idea that his passion for the instrument would lead him to achieve all that he has so far.

He recalls first watching and learning from the band members of his church at 10 years old. He said: "For months, every Sunday, I would stay and watch the band members. Then one day, Pastor told me to play."

His mom, Joan, said it was a big surprise when Travis was asked to play the keyboard in church, and he played it well. She recalled: "Pastor said, 'Let Brother Travis play on the keyboard, and everybody was saying 'Wow!'."

Since then, Travis has not looked back.

When he began attending Charlemont High School, he joined the music programme, where he came under the tutelage of music teachers Nigel Powell and Dachan Morris and developed his musical ear. He later became band captain and has played for the King and Queen of Spain and other dignitaries.

This year, Travis accomplished a significant feat. He won the Gold Medal for Open Advanced Instrumental Performance at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission National Festival of the Arts Music National Finals for his piece 'Blue Bossa Meets Pain, a Jazz and Latin Fusion.

Commenting on this achievement, he said: "Well, Sir knew I was going to win, but I didn't believe it. When I heard my name, my heart skipped a beat." He continued: "I feel good that I made my teachers proud."

JAZZ LOVER

Mom, Joan, said that Travis worked really hard preparing the piece. "He came home and started practising, and he just said, 'I'm asking God to touch these fingers'."

Inspired by his favourite keyboardists, Rick Wakeman and Stevie Wonder, Travis' favourite genre is jazz.

Powell said: "Travis is really amazing! He's playing like a second-year jazz pianist from Edna Manley. If he continues on this path, if he's serious, with proper guidance, he can be among the top in the next three or four years."

Morris also commented, saying: "I think his talent is exceptional! I think he has done tremendously well. His enthusiasm is out of this world."

But music is not Travis' only love. His love of chemistry closely rivals that of music, so much so that he wants to be a chemical engineer. He spoke about the reasons for his choice, saying: "I love chemistry. I have a natural talent for it, and I want to discover better, or alternative, sources of energy."

Travis, who garnered 10 CXC CSEC subjects, with eight distinctions, and four CAPE subjects with three distinctions, is hoping to attend college in United States.

He spent last summer studying his favourite subject at the Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts in the United States. On the experience, he said: "It was a hands-on, practical programme, and I played with and cultivated genres." Not one to leave out his music, he said: "I had the opportunity to play in the orchestra, and I had a solo. It was the best!"

In 2013, Travis was awarded the Governor General's Youth Leadership and Community Service Award. He and another schoolmate, Ashli McClure, teamed up to form 'Ladies and Knights', a community-service organisation that was able to secure donations to fund the tuition for past Schools' Challenge Quiz captain, Colin Fuller.

'SO REMARKABLE'

Vice-principal Marie Sullivan praised Travis' work with the Ladies and Knights organisation, saying: "It was so remarkable how they went about it. They got things done."

His love for service may have roots in his faith. Travis is a devout Christian and an ordained minister of the Mount Zion Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. He plays in the band there as well and teaches Sunday School to adults. On being a minister he said: "I have a love for the church. It takes zeal, enthusiasm, and dedication."

Commenting on the former Deputy head boy, Vice-Principal Jennifer Gidden said: "He's a very helpful, co-operative, and very responsible person. He gives everything his best shot."

And Travis' guiding principle of delayed gratification allows him to do just that. He had this advice for other youngsters: "Know where you want to go, where you want to be. Fun can wait. There is a time and place for everything."