FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Mr. Darren Johnson's band practice is full of talented instrumentalists. One is taking his talents to Tuscaloosa.
"I went there April 7. I was the first person to audition that day. I would say there was a graduate student there and all he did was record my audition and that was that," says senior Patrick Livatt.
He tried out for the University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band and found out weeks later that he made the cut, but he almost didn't audition at all.
"Once I got accepted to Alabama, I decided to go to their school. I liked all the programs and facilities that they had to offer and it was at the very last minute that I decided to audition."
The late decision left him with only one week to practice.
"Mr. Johnson, he talked through it with me. We ran through it for a few days. Some of my other classmates as well helped me through counting the rhythms out and remaining calm and taking it slower, then practicing speeding it up for my audition."
His hard work paid off. "I got the email Monday night, but I didn't really look at it until Tuesday. The first person I told was my band director, and then my principal found out."
His band director Mr. Johnson says, "I wasn't surprised. He has that kind of talent. We got kids here who can play anywhere. That's what we do, we prepare our kids to play anywhere in the world, not just in the state," says Johnson.
Now, he's ready to be on the sidelines at every Alabama football game.
Livatt says he plans to major in pre-med. He says his education will always come first.