Month: July 2024

ELLISVILLE- He’s the first Jones College Music Industry & Recording Arts major to release a Contemporary Christian single and the first to debut the song to an international audience. Twenty-year-old Magee resident, Daniel Baldwin released his first single, “Instantaneous,” on June 15, 2024. It was recorded at the college’s music studio and on the college’s record label, Free State Records.

“I wrote it last summer in July and it’s about God’s forgiveness for us and how if we repent of our sins, the Lord is steadfast and insightful to forgive us instantaneously,” explained Baldwin. “I was always a perfectionist, so I always saw all the little things I did wrong, and it was harder for me to forgive myself, but I knew the Lord was steadfast to forgive us, even if we don’t forgive ourselves.”

The Meridian native wrote the song in July 2023, but he didn’t record it until March 2024. During a class with his Music Industry instructor, Matt McGuffie, he was called on to show off his piano skills. Shortly after, he shared the song, “Instantaneous” and recorded it in one-take before his entire class.

“He started playing and singing and myself, and the entire class were like, Wow! That’s really good and that was my first introduction to Daniel’s music,” said McGuffie. “I added an electric guitar part to add a little meat to the song, but he did all the rest; he wrote the song, performed it and did all the tracking of the voices, harmony, piano, and violin.”

But that was not the first time Baldwin performed his song, “Instantaneous” which is growing in popularity on Spotify with nearly 2,000 downloads and listeners. Shortly after writing it in 2023, Baldwin was in Poland on a mission trip and had the opportunity to perform the song before a live audience. Their response to his new song, dumbfounded him.

“They just started crying because they are craving Christianity, a different type of denomination than what they are familiar with and they were so happy that the younger people are passionately chasing the Lord,” said Baldwin.

Since he began piano lessons as a six-year-old, his musical and singing career has flourished exponentially. In June, his mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico offered him a unique opportunity to not only share his music there, but with the entire Mexican Radio audience and Facebook Live. The Mexican missionary family his church, Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel supports, also owns a Christian Radio Station which invited him to perform.

Additionally, the rising singer/songwriter’s first major performance was on the piano before 19,000 people in Disney World for the Beta Convention as one of the State Talent Show winners in 2017 when he was 13 years old. At the time, it was Baldwin’s dream to be a concert pianist. Besides piano competitions and leading worship in area churches, his next big live performance was for his cousin’s wedding last October, before 500 guests in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.

From the beginning, his grandparents, Don Nobles, a band director and Mamie Nobles, a church organist, supported his musical talent in numerous ways. However, Baldwin’s true talents may not have been discovered and cultivated if it wasn’t for his Ellisville teachers.

“I was about eight years old when we moved to Magee and started taking piano lessons from Ellen Gunn. That’s when I really fell in love with music and realized I had an ear for it. She was the first one to tell me that she thought I had a talent in music, which meant a lot to me,” shared Baldwin. “At Jones, Mr. McGuffie helped me really cultivate my passion in music and helped me make my dreams kind of come to life. He showed me how to do this in a wise way. Knowing the technical and the business side of the music industry is vital to the success of any music career.”  

With Baldwin’s song, “Instantaneous” being available on every streaming platform and another single expected to be released later this fall, Baldwin’s future plans are not final.

“I’m definitely going to pursue the music industry, but I may go to Belmont University. It is one of my top options or I may just go straight into the music industry. I’m just not 100 percent sure at this point,” Baldwin shared. “Whatever direction I go, I want to thank the Lord for this opportunity because without Him, it would not be possible.”

Baldwin will return to Jones College in the fall to finish his sophomore year with plans to continue writing and performing on campus and wherever he finds an opportunity. Click on the link to listen to Daniel Baldwin’s first single: Instantaneous by Daniel Baldwin

ELLISVILLE – Perhaps a little Disney “magic” helped Jones College’s FBLA students earn two, first-place trophies in national competition in Orlando, Florida recently. The 2024 Collegiate National Leadership Conference of Future Business Leaders of America, Inc., (FBLA) the nation’s largest Career and Technical Student Organization focused solely on business, attracted more than 1000 college students and educators from across the country, including 12 Jones College students.

“This is my 16th year as an advisor for FBLA at Jones College and this is the first time we’ve taken first place at national competition. The closest we’ve come is a second place win several years ago,” shared David Ray. “It was an amazing week with 12 talented Jones students. All of their hard work this year culminated in several top ten and two 1st place awards. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of students. I’m looking forward to displaying our national championship banners in our club room!”

Earning the top spot and ending the more than 20-year drought of first place wins for JC, were Laurel’s Jaythan Comegys and Vicksburg’s Barbara Ahlvin. They placed first in the nation in the Emerging Business Issues team event, beating out 35 other competitors. The Jones Team received the competition topic a few months in advance and prepared a slideshow discussing the positive and negative sides of the topic. Ray explained they decided to use two students bantering back and forth like it was friendly “debate” or argument, which the judges loved.

“My time in FBLA, culminating in this trip to Nationals, was the best of all of my time at Jones College. Our group grew in confidence, in professionalism, and in friendship, all while making joyous memories throughout the journey!” shared Ahlvin.

Comegys teamed up with another Laurel native, Danielle Parker in the State of Chapter event. Ray explained that teams from Co-Lin Community College and East Central Community College have dominated this event in the past and placed in the top ten at National’s multiple times. At the state competition, the Jones College team came in second place; just one point behind East Central and Co-Lin got third place. At national competition, East Central didn’t make the finals and Co-Lin didn’t compete.

“This past year we tripled the amount of activities/meetings/speakers/campus awareness for the club, and we initiated several outreach programs and provided a ‘cool’ club room for members. Because of our intense refocus on the club, we decided to try our hand at that event, which basically showcases your clubs’ activities for the year,” said Ray. “We were beyond excited at the awards program to have all of our work and effort this past year recognized nationally!

On the first attempt to compete in this category, the Jones College team’s presentation with Comegys and Parker beat out 27 other states’ presentations, earning them first-place in National competition. With two first-place trophies, Comegys returned to Jones County, grateful for the experience.

“The entire trip was amazing, beginning to end. Spending time with such a fun group and getting to work with talented students made for an unforgettable experience,” said Comegys.

The two-time first place national winner, also placed eighth in Impromptu Speaking. Additionally, Ahlvin also competed in Job Interview and Parker made the finals in Future Business Executive.

Other Jones College student winners included Terry Rogers of Quitman who placed sixth in Impromptu Speaking, and he also made the finals in Public Speaking. Matthew Taylor of Richland placed 10th in Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition, and he competed in Foundations of Entrepreneurship along with Walker Dear of Florence. The team of Raleigh’s Ethan Hammons and Logan Ingram, and Hattiesburg’s Ethan Noffke placed seventh in the Computer Science Case Competition. Hammons also competed in Foundations of Computer Science, and Noffke competed in the Foundations of Technology category. Also competing were Lance Hamilton of Waynesboro-Public Speaking; Deja Baskin of Laurel-Computer Applications and Raegan Drummer of Laurel-Foundations of Computer Science and Retail Management

FBLA’s National Leadership Conference brings together students to compete for cash prizes in dozens of competitive events over four days each year. Students also had the opportunity to engage in learning workshops, network with alumni, and meet with potential employers.