A former Pinellas County Schools student is celebrating a big honor—being a Grammy nominee at just 24 years old.
You could say the years of hard work and dedication were worth it when you see the accomplishments of Kendric McCallister.
He’s a 2017 graduate of Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA) at Gibbs High School, inspired by his teachers and peers every day.
“Most of my practice foundation and the way I think as a musician was founded during my time at PCCA and during Pinellas County Schools,” said McCallister.
The saxophone is his main instrument, though he also plays piano, and he’ll tell you he spent a lot of time practicing.
Pinellas County Schools “We started school at 7:05, I would wake up around 5:30, and I would do about an hour,” said McCallister. “When I wake up in the morning, I practice. When I come home, I practice for like two hours. I usually do two-hour sessions, and so when I was out of high school or on the weekends, I would wake up at 6, so my alarm rings at 5:30, and I wake up at 6, I practice two hours. I take two hours off. I practice another two hours. I take two hours off. I practice another two hours.”