For DJ Parson, the past few weeks have meant moving quickly — rehearsals, travel, and performances across multiple cities — culminating in the kind of moment most young musicians don’t often get early on: sharing a stage with Yo-Yo Ma.
The St. Thomas native, now a 16-year-old jazz trumpet major at the Interlochen Arts Academy, recently completed his first national tour, performing in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston as part of “Imagine U.S.: Celebrating America at 250,” a multi-disciplinary production bringing together young artists from across the country. Selected through a competitive process as the tour’s only jazz horn player, Parson contributed to both performance and original work, including music scored for a student-produced film.
For Parson, the experience marked a first. It was his first time touring across multiple cities— moving from late-night rehearsals into early travel days and back onto the stage, often with little downtime in between. At the same time, the work extended beyond performance. He contributed to an original piece developed alongside fellow students, later paired with a short film and performed live as part of the program — an example of the kind of cross-disciplinary collaboration that defined the tour.
“The experience was very fun,” he said. “Being with everyone and being able to express the music we created… to so many people—that was the best part.”
The program itself brought together music, film, and other disciplines, with students performing works ranging from a newly commissioned cello concerto by Wynton Marsalis to a reimagined version of Charles Ives’ “Symphony No. 4.” The pace was demanding, but it also offered something harder to replicate in a classroom setting — learning in real time, alongside other artists working at a high level.
Back home, that kind of environment wasn’t unfamiliar — it just looked different. While on St. Thomas, Parson attended Antilles School, where he credits the band program as a key part of building his foundation as a musician. The son of United Jazz Foundation founder Nicole Parson and Emmy award-winning Virgin Islands musician Dion Parson, he also grew up around rehearsals, performances, and working musicians, absorbing the process as much as the sound.
“I’ve always been around jazz,” he said, including figures like Wynton Marsalis, who was involved in shaping parts of the tour and has long worked alongside his father. From there, the learning became more direct, with musicians offering guidance not just on technique, but on how to approach the instrument and the work.
“All the members of my dad’s band have been very supportive,” he said, pointing to players like trumpeter Melvin Jones and others who helped shape his development over time.
Even while studying at Interlochen, Parson has continued to return home and perform locally, building on that foundation while staying connected to the community that helped shape his early growth.
“Surround yourself with people that are better than you,” he said. “You learn more hearing them play … it helps you become better musically and personally.”
Now finishing his second year, Parson is focused on what comes next — more performances, more opportunities, and more time putting in the work.
“I’m just trying to put in as much time as possible,” he said, “and take advantage of every opportunity.”
