Georgia teen accepted into prestigious music school

ATLANTA - A DeKalb County 15-year-old has been accepted into one of the country's most prestigious schools for music and art for her talents as a harpist.

Micah Blair was accepted into the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan to finish out her last two years of high school.

"I think I got two emails, and I didn't see the first one. I went to check my email and I saw both of them and I said, 'Wow,"' Micah said.

Accepted, not only for her musical talent but her academics as well.

"They're looking for the best of the best, basically," Micah said.

She made the decision to start playing the harp in the third grade.

"All of my friends, they were choosing the violin or the viola but I wanted to choose something that was more unique and would make me stand out more," she said.

Years of practice have now paid off for the 15-year-old.

She is the principal harpist for the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra and a fellow with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, which helps train young minority musicians.

Picking a unique instrument has presented challenges for Micah.

She has always been the only harpist at her schools and it has been difficult to find the guidance there to hone her talents.

Micah said she's excited she'll soon be in an environment where her skills can shine even brighter. 

She hopes her story inspires others to take the paths less traveled.

"Choose something that makes you stand out as a person but also something that makes you happy when you play and that whenever you play, you just go into your own world," she said.

Micah has received scholarships for her tuition, but it will not cover all of the necessary expenses.

You can help her get to Interlochen by donating here. 

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