Dr. Patrice Minor Floyd, a violinist, is a testament to resilience, artistry, and service. Born into an era still shadowed by segregation, she began her musical journey when her mother enrolled her at Central Elementary School in Palm Beach County. There, she became one of the first students to join the county’s newly formed string program. Under the leadership of visionaries Betty Jean Miller and Wanda McDonald, the program grew to 400 participants, opening the doors of classical music to children of all races. Retired string teachers volunteered daily, offering Black students rare access to both Black and non-Black instructors, breaking barriers in early education and laying the foundation for Floyd’s lifelong devotion to music.
Early Training and Mentorship
Quietly selected in ninth grade, young Patrice traveled alone by bus to attend a prestigious music camp at the University of Kansas under the guidance of Howard Boyagen. Compassionate bus drivers became her guardians on the road, ensuring her safety and expanding her view of the world. Back in Florida, she cultivated relationships with icons such as Cincinnati Pops conductor Eric Kunzel and earned praise from Florida Symphony’s Alfonso Carlo. At Florida State University, she found a mentor in Robert Sedore, who guided her through an era marked by deep racial tension. Their bond endured beyond his lifetime, symbolized by the viola he once played—entrusted to her by his daughter, Carolyn Sedore.
Founding Javacya Arts Conservatory
After marriage, Floyd transformed her home into a music school that blossomed into Javacya Arts Conservatory. With the support of Dr. William P. Foster, and, later, Dr. Julian E. White, secured the FAMU Recital Hall on Saturdays to launch the FAMU Youth Strings Program. Soon, satellite schools emerged in North Augusta (SC), Orlando (FL), Thomasville and Fitzgerald (GA), and Quincy (FL). Through these programs, she nurtured thousands of young musicians, some as young as three, instilling not only technical skill but also emotional and intellectual growth.
Cultivating Talent
Her alumni include a remarkable roster of professionals and artists: Ross McMillan, Dr. Zita Magloire, Chef Mariella Magloire, , Congressman Gallop Franklin, violinist Samantha Crawford, flutist Achia Floyd, composer Kenneth Hills, violinist Phillip Rumlin-Bond, Grammy-nominated “Mad Violinist” Ashanti Floyd, Violist Kayla Williams, and Warped Trio’s Joshua Henderson. Each carries forward her legacy of excellence and mentorship.
Global Performances and Ministry
Dr. Floyd’s violin has resonated across six continents, with tours in Australia, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Her performance during Florida’s Challenger shuttle memorial brought profound national attention, while her ministry has taken her to revivalist crusades alongside leaders such as Dr. Jesse Jackson and Nathaniel Bassey. Icons like Donna Summer and Jonathan Butler have recognized her dual gifts of music and ministry. She has performed for President Bill Clinton, numerous prime ministers, ambassadors, and dignitaries from around the world, further cementing her place as a cultural ambassador of music. In recognition of her impact, she was honored by former Vice President Kamala Harris, a tribute to her influence that transcends both art and community.
Dr. Patrice Minor Floyd’s story is one of breaking barriers, nurturing talent, and carrying the sound of her violin across the world. Her life embodies the power of music to heal, unite, and inspire generations.
Adrianna Freeman was born in Tallahassee, FL.: the oldest daughter of Ed Freeman, a former sharecropper and his wife Theresa. With the influence of her father and grandfather, Adrianna’s love for country music would flourish. Growing into a young lady Adrianna realized she was a little different from the other kids around her. While they sang and danced to the latest and greatest R&B acts, Adrianna was soaking up the lovesick cries of Loretta Lynn and Patty Loveless. It was that sound, and those words that touched her soul.
Adrianna would develop her natural talent singing in church, at county fairs, and recording demos. She would also discover her abilities as a writer, beginning with poetry then songs. Taking every opportunity to develop this gift she loved so much, she embarked on one of the most rewarding experiences of her life, mission work overseas.
In pursuit of her vision, Adrianna caught the attention of Teddy Gentry of the super-group “ALABAMA”. Teddy generously offered his talents as producer to Adrianna’s project. “The passion in Adrianna’s voice reminds me of Tammy Wynette, one of my favorite female singers in all of country music.” High praise, coming from a founding member of one of country music’s most successful groups of all time.
Freeman’s first single, “Just A Girl,” addressed the challenges faced by children in broken homes and was adopted as the official theme song of The National Network for Youth (NN4Y) in Washington, D.C. Her debut album, “Either You Do or You Don’t,” received rave reviews and was embraced by fans worldwide.
In May of 2024, Adrianna released “I Ran Out of Whiskey Yesterday.” Written in collaboration with her longtime bandmate Mark Hawkins, the song resonates with the struggles faced by many Americans today and embodies the essence of country music’s true spirit –“three chords and the truth.” Adrianna followed up with “Halo” in September of 2024, with a powerful video that puts viewers in the pews of a nostalgic southern Sunday morning with a gut-wrenching twist. In January of 2025, Freeman released “The Price” with a video performance that has been nominated and won several film festival awards. Freeman released her first ballad “Blue, Bluer Than Bluegrass” in July of 2025, probably one of with my most vulnerable releases to date says Freeman.
Now Adrianna Freeman, the soulful voice that has captured hearts with her poignant storytelling and unwavering authenticity, releases her latest single, "Stepping to the Beat". “This song was inspired by my mom, who loves to dance, says Freeman; “It is —fun, inspiring, and filled with the kind of musicianship that just makes you want to dance”
The path to country music stardom for Adrianna has been a worn road, but Freeman pushes forward with her dreams and a new single titled “Stepping to the Beat” which she sings with all the gusto, Freeman is known for. For Freeman, what lies ahead are dreams revealed, behind, a road paved for the future.
Patrice Jackson is carving out a name for herself as a gifted and charismatic soloist. The Detroit News has described her as a “big-toned, boldly projected soloist” and the Hartford Courant complimented her “effortless facility, playful phrasing, and a sense of spontaneity that one hears usually only from the highest caliber of musicians.”
Since winning the Sphinx Competition in 2002, Jackson has performed with multiple symphonies, including those of Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, New Jersey, and Milwaukee, as well as with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She made her international orchestral and recital debuts in South Africa in 2002. Highlights of her 2018–2019 season include performances with the Boston Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Conservatory Recital series, an orchestral performance at New England's Jordan Hall, and debuting with the musical Jagged Little Pill at Boston's A.R.T.
Jackson has been a student of Janos Starker, Aldo Parisot, Joel Krosnick, and Bonnie Hampton. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the Yale School of Music in New Haven, and is currently associate professor of cello at Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Phillip Rumlin-Bond began his violin studies at Javacya Arts Conservatory with founding director and respected violinist Dr. Patrice Floyd. He began formal training at age nine and, through the Conservatory’s outreach and collaborative efforts, has attended Interlochen Summer Arts Camp (Michigan), the Sphinx Performance Academy, Red Hills Summer Music Workshop (New Hampshire), and Four Strings Academy (Boston). He has taken private lessons and/or masterclasses with Rachel Barton Pine, Amadi Azikiwe, Kinga Augustyn, Dr. Simon Shiao, and Mariella Hill. Currently, he is a scholarship student at The Hartt School in Connecticut, where he studies with Katie Lansdale.
By age fourteen, Phillip had already served as concertmaster of the Javacya Elite Chamber Orchestra. He has been a member of the 2021 Florida All-State Orchestra; former Principal Assistant Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin of the Deer Lake Middle School Orchestra; a member of the All-County District Orchestra; a member of the first violin section at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp (middle school division, two consecutive years); and a first violinist with the Sphinx Performance Academy Orchestra (summer 2021). Phillip is a student mentor for the Florida A&M University Summer Youth Orchestra and is actively involved in community service. In 2020, he served as a junior student teacher for beginning students enrolled in the Florida Society Youth Orchestra.
As concertmaster of Javacya Elite, Phillip has led the orchestra in performances with award-winning artists such as singer Darryl Tookes, violinist Ashanti (The Mad Violinist), and acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine. A gifted ninth-grade student at Florida A&M University Developmental Research School, Phillip was named “Mr. Performing Arts” for the 2021–22 school term. His additional honors include First Place in the Alpha Phi Alpha Teen Mentoring Oratorical Competition and Third Place for “Best All-Around” student. In 2019, he received Javacya Arts Conservatory’s “Director’s Nod” and “Most Improved” awards.
Derek Menchan is an accomplished cellist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his genre-defying artistry. His self-produced debut album, The Griot Swings the Classics (2018), earned critical acclaim, reaching Amazon’s Top 3 on the Best-Selling Contemporary R&B chart twice. Menchan’s distinctive sound and musical approach reflect his studies under world-renowned cellists such as Harvey Shapiro, Janos Starker, Olga Rostropovich, and Laszlo Varga. His training also includes a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Pablo Casals Award for Musical Accomplishment and Human Endeavor.
Menchan’s career as a performer has taken him to prestigious venues and arts centers worldwide. He has premiered his arrangements and compositions at the Museum of Modern Art in Houston, DiverseWorks Artspace, and the Verizon Center, as well as at the Toledo Museum of Art. As a studio musician, he has collaborated with notable artists such as Mike Dean, former Bill Evans Trio drummer Marty Morell, and guitarist Ed Vitale, who played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
Deeply committed to education and community engagement, Menchan serves as a respected professor at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida, where he teaches humanities and directs the Voices of the People Chamber Music Series. He is known for his engaging, interdisciplinary approach and his role as a “mad professor,” inspiring students and audiences alike with his insights into music and the arts.
With roots in Tallahassee, Menchan’s connection to the city extends back to his father’s days at Florida A&M University, where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Menchan himself joined the fraternity, continuing his family’s legacy. His work with the Javacya Arts Conservatory and involvement in the Arts-in-the-Heart Concert Series highlight his dedication to bringing classical music to diverse audiences.
In addition to his solo pursuits, Menchan is a bass artist for NS Design and is highly regarded for his technical mastery, poetic musicality, and unique ability to blend classical, jazz, and R&B genres. His recent singles, including Don't Dream It's Over, continue to reflect his dynamic artistry and innovation, bridging the worlds of classical and contemporary music.
Dr. Khari Joyner Described by the New York Classical Review as "one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene," Dr. Khari Joyner has a following both nationally and abroad as a versatile concert cellist, chamber musician and ambassador for the arts. He has made numerous guest appearances with orchestras and ensembles across the world, including two recent performances of both Saint-Saëns "Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor" and Tchaikovsky’s "Variations on a Rococo Theme" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which received rave reviews. In addition, he has given many cello masterclasses and lectures at notable institutions, including SUNY Fredonia, Oberlin Conservatory and Clayton State University.
Furthermore, Joyner received the 2017-18 career grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund, which nominates and endows a select number of gifted artists with generous funding to further their careers. Joyner has also performed for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, the latter for which he gave a private performance in the Oval Office.
A passionate advocate for the music of the 21st century, Joyner has collaborated and given performances of works by major composers such as Tyshawn Sorey, Carman Moore, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, among many others. An active chamber musician and one of the founding members of the Altezza Piano Trio, Joyner has given performances as a guest at the Ritz Chamber Players, Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, Fontainbleau Music Festival and on WQXR as a part of the Midday Masterpieces series.
A graduate of Juilliard’s prestigious Doctor of Musical Arts program, he has had teaching affiliations with Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College and recently joined the faculty at Mannes Prep. He also pursued a mathematics concentration in an exchange program with Columbia University, while studying in Juilliard’s Accelerated BM/MM program. Joyner actively collaborates across genres with many choreographers, actors and jazz musicians and was recently featured as a guest artist for Dance Theater of Harlem and on NPR’s Tiny Desk with Sudan Archives.
Exceptional facility, preternatural vocal range, and expression make American singer, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, poet, and educator Darryl Tookes one of the few artists of his stature in the world today. Internationally renowned American singer, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, poet and educator Darryl Tookes is a signature artist whose angelic voice can be heard on works with Quincy Jones, Leonard Bernstein, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Nile Rogers, Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, Steve Tyrell, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Ramsey Lewis, Ray Charles, Nancy Wilton, Michel LeGrand, Grover Washington, Jr., Carmen McRae, Bobby McFerrin, Todd Rundgren, Lionel Richie, Christina Aguilera, Patti Austin, Laurie Anderson, and others. Broadway orchestrator and piano virtuoso Joseph Joubert describes Tookes as an artist of “Unequaled stature. Pure genius.”
With his single debut Lifeguard reaching #3 on the Billboard Charts, Darryl Tookes became one of the first African-Americans to chart in the Adult Contemporary category of Billboard magazine and experienced success on his own terms as a songwriter, artist, and producer in his formal introduction to the music industry. He sees being recently named Director of Music Industry Studies at Florida A&M University as a continuation of this legacy. Perhaps the words of legendary music executive and longtime Blue Note Records Chairman Bruce Lundvall say it best, "Darryl Tookes is a signature artist."
In addition to his recent appointment to helm the Music Industry Institute at Florida A&M University, Mr. Tookes is a highly sought-after clinician and pedagogue who has taught Voice at New York University in the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and Tisch School of the Arts. He has been a Lecturer in Music at The State University of New York at Purchase College, on the Voice Faculty of Fairfield University, and was offered a position at Berklee College of Music. He was the founding Musical Director of Black to Broadway, presenting the talents of an array of leading African-American performers, including Tony award winners Melba Moore, Jennifer Holiday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Billy Porter. A number of today's Broadway stars are former students of Mr. Tookes.
Gamaliel Harris is an award-winning tenor trombonist, vocalist, and bandleader whose dynamic sound and expressive versatility have made him one of the standout young voices in collegiate jazz today. His musical journey began with early acclaim, winning the Pensacola Student Jazz Competition in the Collegiate Division during his freshman year.
At Florida A&M University, Harris served as the lead trombonist and section leader of the FAMU Jazz Ensemble, contributing to the ensemble’s nationally recognized performances. During the group’s appearance at the Virginia Arts Festival—hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center—he was honored with both Outstanding Trombonist and the Adderley Brothers Outstanding Soloist Award, solidifying his reputation as a commanding soloist with a distinctive musical voice.
Harris has performed alongside renowned artists including Wycliffe Gordon, and has opened for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis. In small-group settings, he has also opened for Delfeayo Marsalis and Herlin Riley, gaining mentorship and inspiration from some of the leading figures in modern jazz.
A dedicated scholar and educator, Harris is a scholarship recipient and has been teaching since 2022, sharing his passion for improvisation, brass technique, and ensemble playing with developing musicians.
He currently leads Quarter Til, a versatile ensemble in which he performs both on trombone and as a vocalist, showcasing original music and innovative arrangements that reflect his wide-ranging influences.
With award-winning musicianship, leadership experience, and a growing performance profile, Gamaliel Harris continues to establish himself as a rising artist with a bold and compelling presence in today’s jazz landscape.
