Bankhead Violinist

My name is Derick Jones, DJ, and I am a professional violinist, app developer, bartender, and author from Bankhead in Atlanta, GA. I attended Grove Park Elementary School where I was given the distinction of being in the gifted program and being asked two different grades by two different teachers to be skipped, which my beautiful mother opted out of. In 5th grade, I was in the honor choir for Grove Park and I was in the Black History Quiz Bowl where we reigned for the two years I was a part of.

In Middle School, I started playing Alto Sax under the direction of Mr. Dallas at West Fulton Middle School. I also began playing the violin there under the direction of Mrs. Toni Butts. The story of me starting playing the violin is that since I was gifted I had clout in the school with the teachers and I spoke with the principal, Mr. Alexander, and asked to be transferred into orchestra because my girlfriend at the time was in the class. I was a complete beginner last chair last violin. Each day I would stay after school practicing my violin while Ms. Butts was doing whatever work she needed to get done. They found out I could sing as well and then I began going on gigs during school time to perform as a singer/performer with them. I was proficient on the tuba as well, enough so that I performed with Mays High School Marching Band in the 7th Grade over the summer. I lead the parade where our orchestra was marching in that lead to the name-changing ceremony of West Fulton Middle School to Benjamin S. Carson Honors Preparatory School and after the parade sang a solo of I believe the children are our future by Whitney Houston for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In 8th grade, my family moved to Jonesboro and I was transferred to Pointe South Middle School and was the Concert Master for their orchestra and lead them to superior ratings at GMEA. There I was also a part of the band playing trumpet. To begin High School I entered Mundy's Mill High School where I began playing with Mrs. Jones. This was the last year Ms. Jones would be there. I was the only 9th grader that was allowed to perform in the 1st Violin section at the GMEA. On the day of GMEA, I was feeling exceedingly nervous to the point of dizziness. I walked over to Ms. Jones to try to explain and began to faint, she thought I was going to throw up on the music so she accidentally guided me to the floor. I came to and was given lots of candy and water and went on to do great at my performance. I was still a part of the gifted program and going through the rigorous programs that were AP Classes from 9th grade and every year on. The next year we had a new teacher, Ms. Corey Benton. She was an exceptional teacher. I was the concertmaster of the chamber orchestras and lead as the principal violist in the symphonic, for GMEA, since no member could play in more than one without playing a different instrument. I was a part of the Math, Spanish, and a plethora more clubs at Mundy's Mill High School. I performed as a pit musician at the Clayton County Performing Arts Center for Peter Pan the Musical, and Seussical the musical. I was also from 9th until 12th grade a part of the Emory Youth Symphony and the Southern Crescent Youth Symphonies. I later went on to join the Southern Crescent Symphony and be in the 1st Violin Section. In the 12th grade, I changed schools yet again because Clayton County was being threatened with Academic Dismissal, so I went back to Bankhead and decided to go to Fredrick Douglass High School, there I tried to skate by and not do the rigorous AP courses this year but Mr. Saylor, an alum of Georgia Tech, my Calculus teacher saw my potential and got me changed into AP Calc, AP Computer Science, and AP Economics. There I was in the Fredrick Douglass High Orchestra where I under Mr. Isaac I was the concertmaster and teacher most of the time. I would teach the class while he went around helping them with their form and habits. Since he also taught at Mays I was the concertmaster over there as well. I would also play seasonally with Adamsville Church. I lead the Atlanta Public School youth orchestra as Concertmaster. I culminated the year by finally showing my classmates what I had been doing all this time by performing the Accolay Violin Concerto at my senior recital in front of all of the seniors, juniors, and some class skippers. They loved it and I received a standing ovation from my peers and was asked to perform at an event to be televised congratulating Beverly Hall for her, now promiscuous, score exams that had her be Superintendent of the year for the entire nation. I performed a solo of Meditation from Thais and killed it!! I was also a part of the Junior Engineers Team and though it was our first year competing we won 1st place in the competition! I was also on the Academic Decathlon where I got first place in Art, Music, and Math, which helped lead our team to an overall Team victory as well. I had the highest SAT score in my class at Fredrick Douglass High but was denied being a Star student as I had only been at the school for one year and they felt it would be unfair. I got the Bill Gates Full Ride Scholarship for any school in the nation until your doctorate. I wanted to go to school for music but my mother told me to go to school for something else so I have something to fall back on. Since I knew I was good at math and computers I chose to go to Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech was the only school I applied to and luckily I got accepted. Over the summer I decided to take the Challenge program which is a program designed to get you ready for Georgia Tech where over the summer you live in a freshman dorm, take classes from Georgia Tech professors, and at the end if you get all A's you get a full refund. I was off by 1 A. So my mom got back Maybe 70% of the money she paid. I made great friends there and to my surprise, I was runner up for the most popular guy. I was the only person in the program to get an A in Computer Science and won the best in Computer Science award. I wanted to get away from my family a little so decided to go to Georgia Tech's Savannah Campus which I later found to be based on Armstrong Atlantic's Campus. There I made great friends, joined the Choir, and competed with The Armstrong Atlantic Choir. I also began doing Undergraduate Research as a freshman under Dr. Cameron Coates who was my Intro to an Engineering professor. I rocked it out and made a 4.0 my first semester. The next year I decided to transfer back to the Atlanta Campus. There I began playing in the Georgia Tech Symphony where I was in the 1st Violin Section and Georgia Tech chamber ensembles. I also played with the Drama Tech theatre of Georgia Tech where I was the solo violinist behind Jekyll and Hyde. I went on to work with Act 3 productions and playing in 3 musicals with them so far. I began bartending and bar managing through a friend who was a club owner of two clubs in New Jersey and Philadelphia. I currently bartend at different venues across Atlanta, as well as club promote. I am the 2nd chair 1st Violinist for the Atlanta Philharmonic and a 1st Violin member, but for this concert at Dragon Con, the Principle 2nd Violinist for the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra. I just released an app to the google play store Weed Nation Games, which is an app that has games for every occasion non-alcoholic, hookah, beer, alcohol, wine, cigarette, e-cig, vape, any occasion. You simply click which items you have been it, you're at a pool, have playing cards, have a cup, etc. It generates games based on what you have to play with your friends or even alone, with tons of extras on the app like links to your favorite turn up videos like Tipsy Bartender, WorldStarHipHop, Media Takeout, and links to your favorite Social Media networks placing them all in one app there's always something to do. WEED NATION GAMES available on Google Play Store. WORK HARD PLAY HARD. I just also decided to start recording myself play my violin to some of the popular songs of today and yesterday under the name BANKHEAD VIOLINIST and people are really enjoying it, check me out. Xscape the group said they, " Loved it and Good Job" to my rendition of their hit Tonight. I currently have close to 300 videos on YouTube and a plethora more on Instagram.

Since turning into a full-time musician under the stage name Bankhead Violinist, I've performed as a Solo Violinist for the last 3 years for many locations. I've been a resident musician at Sage Woodfire Tavern Perimeter, Buckhead, and Alpharetta, Red Pepper Taqueria Buckhead, Red Pepper Taqueria Dunwoody, and Area 4 Restaurant. I also perform for private and public events around the city and beyond. I was once flown out to a beautiful destination wedding in Puerto Rico to perform for the flurry of events they had planned for their guests. I have begun doing lessons about 3 years ago both privately and through Lessons in Your Home and TakeLessons. I've performed at many schools around metro-Atlanta as well as have taught at many orchestra programs or camps including Marbut Elementary, Douglass High School, LoveJoy High School, and Mundys Mill High School.

I've performed for a range of events including but not limited to: Weddings, African Galas, Funerals, Birthdays, Private Gatherings, Surprise Proposals, Valentines Day Surprise, Elderly Home Visit, Hospital Visit, Graduation Party, Engagement Parties, Art Shows, Food Trucks, Grand Openings, Parades, Company Gatherings, Balcony Serenades,  Rap Video, Feature to Rap Artist(s) Live, Feature to Dj Live, and I'm currently working on a project where I'm composing and scoring music for a feature film.

I've won a host of talent competitions around Atlanta and frequently play at many of the local karaoke nights as a pop-up performer.

Check me out on social media!