St. Andrews Middle School student accepted into prestigious Michigan Arts Academy

Xavion Boyd-Gray, an eighth-grade student at St. Andrews Middle School, has been accepted into the world-renowned Interlochen Arts Academy at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

Xavion Boyd-Gray, an eighth-grade student at St. Andrews Middle School, has been accepted into the Interlochen Arts Academy, the nation’s premier residential boarding school for high school students who are serious about the arts.

Interlochen Arts Academy is the nation’s premier residential boarding school for high school students who are serious about the arts. Xavion will begin his studies there in the 2024-2025 school year.

“I’m really excited that they accepted me because it’s for really talented students. I didn’t think I was going to get in, but I did and I’m so excited to go,” he said.

Interlochen Arts Academy students spend half of the school day immersed in their respective art forms and the other half of the school day engaged in college preparatory academics developed with emerging artists in mind. The young artists have opportunities to study with professional artists with real-world experience and engage in learning experiences outside the classroom, such as professional projects and national touring opportunities.

Xavion is a bass player in St. Andrews’ orchestra, and he plays the violin and piano. He didn’t start playing until he joined the orchestra in sixth-grade. Since then, Xavion’s love of music has grown.

“Xavion lives and breathes music. Music is everything to him. If he’s having a bad day or something’s bothering him, he’ll just go in his room and start playing his music. That’s the way he copes with things,” said Courtney Boyd, Xavion’s mother.

When he attends Interlochen Arts Academy, Xavion will focus on being a classical performer playing the upright double bass. He hopes to one day become a musician, and has even started composing his own music.

“Lately, he’s been coming up to me and showing me songs he’s written on his iPad. He’ll tell me ‘Mama, this is when the violins are going to play. This is when the bass is going to play,” said Boyd.

Xavion says thanks his orchestra director, Dr. Constance Gee, for encouraging him throughout his time at St. Andrews.

“When I started in orchestra, I really wasn’t taking it seriously, but Dr. Gee really saw the talent in me that I didn’t. When she started to encourage me and always tell me that I’m really talented, I thought that I’d try and do all these things that I didn’t know I could do. She is the best teacher ever,” he said.

“It has been a pleasure to teach such a very talented student. I am so proud of Xavion and wish him all the best in the future,” said Dr. Gee.