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Jackson State University’s Professor and Director of Music Education, Ramon Jackson, DMA, was recognized by the Marquis Who’s Who in America. The inclusion is limited to individuals who possess professional integrity, demonstrate outstanding achievements in their respective fields, and have made innumerable contributions to society.
“This was a great honor and initial surprise for me to receive this designation out of the thousands of music educators in the State of Mississippi, (and to know) that I was selected for this award and representing the state of Mississippi. It truly put a stamp on my (favorite) quote that ‘if you believe, achieve, then the success shall be yours,’” Jackson said.
Jackson shared that he became a music educator because of his passion for music, akin to his mother’s musical aspirations. She also served in the same field and is a fellow Marquis Who’s Who recipient.
Additionally, Jackson started playing in church and joined the middle school band on trombone. He received many accolades on state and regional levels through music competitions and festivals. Those accolades led him to receive a full-ride band scholarship from several universities, which led him to join the JSU Department of Music in 2010.
Jackson received a bachelor’s degree in music education from JSU in 2014. After his bachelor’s, he pursued a master’s degree at the university and finished the program in 2016. Jackson followed it with a doctorate in musical arts from the American Conservatory of Music in 2020 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in music education at the University of Mississippi.
While working on his bachelor’s at JSU, Jackson served as a webmaster for the university and holds the title today. After graduation, he took a position at JSU as an administrative assistant from 2014-to 2020, then became a music teacher for Jackson Public Schools from 2017-to 2018. He now serves at JSU as an assistant professor of music, director of music education, and assistant band director.
Jackson also assists in the community as a volunteer teacher visiting schools throughout Jackson, providing students with free music lessons. He also volunteers routinely at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and American Red Cross.
Jackson is part of many organizations such as the Mississippi Bandmasters Association; HBCU National Band Directors Consortium; American Orff-Schulwerk Association; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Kappa Alpha Psi (Vice President, Jackson Chapter); Mississippi Association of Educators; Mississippi Kodaly Chapter; Sonic Boom of the South.
He received countless awards, including Teacher of the Year in Jackson Public Schools, and he was the two-time Give Back Award recipient at JSU from the college of liberal arts in 2014 and 2015. He accumulated more awards throughout his career, with the William W. Davis Band Director Award from JSU in 2014 and awards from Kappa Alpha Psi for re-instituting music in the education field. He received recognition from the American Orff-Schulwerk Association for being one of the youngest course directors and the only HBCU offering the Orff-Schulwerk courses. He serves as a grant recipient, as he garnered $400,000 in Title III Funding.
Assisting students in completing their degrees in music education has been one of Dr. Jackson’s career highlights. Not many students were graduating at that time, but when he started as director of music education, JSU saw an increase in graduating students. Thirty-two students in his two years graduated with their bachelor’s. Additionally, through his efforts as the course director at the university, JSU became the only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) that offers the Orff Schulwerk program, accredited by the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA).
Jackson attributes his success to his family, colleagues, and mentors at JSU. They motivated and encouraged him to achieve his goals and aspirations.