Heroes

Kaufman County’s Dawson Carroll Accepted to Berklee College of Music

Written by Garrett Havens

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NKmNk48LkgU

Forney, TX – Kaufman County youth, Dawson Carroll (21), has been accepted to the elite Berklee College of Music, joining the ranks of music greats such as John Mayer, Quincy Jones, Meghan Trainor, and a list of Grammy winning artists that is sure to astound. With the date of July 31st, 2017 looming on his calendar, the clock is ticking, and $9,000 is what stands between Dawson and his dreams.

“Dawson was born a creative soul, which led him to naturally love music. He had a guitar in his hand early in life and it was obvious that God had gifted him with a special ability and for a special reason,” says Steven Carrol, Dawson’s father. At the tender age of 11, Dawson formed a band with his brother, Braden, and they performed all over the Metroplex and North Texas, playing shows with artists twice their age. At 15, Dawson was growing as an artist, honing his skills on his craft of playing the guitar and writing original music, but also learning the production and business side of things, teaching himself to use Pro Tools and other recording software, as well as getting his music up on ITunes and other outlets. At this time he was also travelling with his family leading worship and singing, and playing with the youth band at their church.

Led by their father, Steven, and mother, Donna, the Carroll family has stayed strong despite many obstacles. They continue to be a shining example of what it means to love your family, lead your community, and have child-like faith. Donna, Steven, and the whole Carroll crew recently started a ministry called weDIGit, with the mission of going into the marketplace, communities/cities, churches, and families to help others develop and fulfill their personal and corporate visions. This is what they have been called to do in this life. “Love what you do and do what you love for the rest of your life” has been a driving quote for the Carroll’s.

Dawson’s faith and family have been tested in his pursuit of doing what he loves, but he continues to triumph, holding steadfast to his dream, to his calling, so that he can share his Gift with the world. Berklee is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. They have a student body representing 96 countries, and alumni who have collectively won more than 250 Grammys. On Dawson’s GoFundMe page, Steven writes, “Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for music and they accept less than 30% of the thousands who audition each year. Out of all the thousands who auditioned, Dawson was accepted!”

Steven adds, “The total cost for the 2017-2018 school year is $60,000. Dawson was able to get some financial aid, but because of the prestigious nature of the school it doesn’t even come close. He must now make at least a $9,000 payment by Monday,  July 31st to secure his spot this fall.”

Here’s where we, Dawson’s neighbors, come in:

Dawson needs $9,000 by July 31st to secure his spot at Berklee, but $40,000 in all. All that takes is 800 people donating $50. That’s it! Steven finishes the Go Fund Me page by saying, “Every penny raised on this Go Fund Me will go to Berklee for Dawson’s tuition, room, and board. This would mean more to us than we could ever express and be a huge blessing to his life and future. Thank you for helping our son see his dreams come true.” What value can you place on supporting a kid from Kaufman County on his journey to becoming a music great and household name? Let’s get behind this young man’s bright future.

To donate and learn more of Dawson’s journey, follow this link:

https://www.gofundme.com/help-dawson-carroll-go-to-berklee

To view more of Dawson’s original music, follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Dawsoncarrollmusic

To view the Carroll’s ministry, weDIGit, follow this link:

http://www.wedigit.org/about-wedigit.html

Contact

Steven Carroll, weDIGit Ministry

Cell: (214) 766-0198

Steven@wedigit.org

 

Garrett Havens, Director of Community Outreach

LookUp Kaufman County

Cell: (214) 405-3763

GHavens@LookUpKaufman.com

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