Trevis Prince

Who is Trevis Prince? Well if you don’t know, you’re going to want to know. He’s an amazingly talented musician and singer who is climbing his way up the entertainment ladder. According to Prince, “I’m not going to stop until I’m an international star.”, and after spending some time with him, I don’t believe he can be stopped!

A relative newcomer to the music industry, the 30 year-old Trevis has already earned his place on stage in New York City as he’s set to appear on February 17th at the legendary Apollo Theater. But even as Trevis has only been seriously pursuing his music career since 2003, he’s no stranger to performing as that’s something he’s been doing his entire life. With an ultra-smooth voice, character and looks to match, I feel certain this guys going “straight” to the top.

You may ask, why the quotation marks around the word straight? Well, because although we don’t feature a great many straight artist on gayagenda.com, Trevis is one we feel more than fortunate than to have had the opportunity to sit down and speak with.

When you meet Trevis, it’s his eyes, his smile, the way he carries himself that assures you he’s going to do great things. He’s confident, not cocky. Honest and forthright…And the one thing that makes people like Trevis so important to the LGBT community is that he is a true ally of. Even with his gospel background the ‘new Prince’ doesn’t hold anything back when he speaks about diversity and the importance of equality for all people.

During our recent conversation, I asked Trevis who his major influences have been as artist and he answered with a wide range including Rod Stewart, Prince, Sam Cooke, Steve Perry from Journey and Michael Jackson. According to Trevis, “The reason I like those artist there’s something about their music that really reveals their passion as you can sense it when they sing. Passion is a huge element in any type of artistry. I’m really the type of person that believes in the soul of music and that’s how I like all my music to be and those are people I really feel a connection to as far as being an artist.” - Vibe Media

By Chris Wilson




Seventh graders at Fort Clarke Middle School were rewarded for their hard work through the first nine weeks of school with a concert and motivational speech by Gainesville singer Trevis Prince.



(Photo: Trevis Prince performs for Fort Clarke seventh graders)

The program was part of the school’s “high performance series,” which rewards students who do well both academically and in terms of their behavior.



The slogan Fort Clarke teachers are using to promote better performance is “Get on the B.U.S. — Behave. Up the Grade. Succeed.”



The students must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average for the nine-week period to participate in the high performance series. “If the kids have a Dean’s referral, they don’t get to attend the performance,” says seventh grade teacher Linda Williams.


Prince, a former substitute teacher at Fort Clarke, spoke to the students about self respect, hard work, focus and determination. He told personal anecdotes about how hard he practiced when he was on his high school basketball team, because he knew that he would be performing in front of people. He also performed R&B songs he had written specifically for the occasion.



"Trevis Prince provides a positive role model,” says Fort Clarke principal Donna Kidwell. “He is able to effectively blend an inspirational message of hard work and self-worth with contemporary music that adolescents find compelling.”



In addition to watching Prince performed, the seventh graders also watched the inspirational 1988 movie “Stand & Deliver,” which documents a class of struggling students, who overcome odds to become top math students.

- The Suburban Chronicle

Singer/composer ‘entertains’ Duval students

By AIDA MALLARD
Special to the Guardian


Published: Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 5:00 p.m.
Music, singing and dancing, mixed with powerful and serious advice, were dispensed by local singer and composer Trevis Prince to fourth- and fifth-grade students at Duval Elementary Fine Arts Academy.

"I want to talk to you about self," Prince told the students last Thursday in his opening remarks. "You have potential to go as far as you want through respect, discipline and determination."

Prince, who also is a claims adjuster at Nationwide, shared insights into his life, and with songs he writes, delivered positive messages that included self-respect and respect for others, never giving up on your dreams, and the benefits of staying in school.

He sang "Trying to Shine," about perseverance and hard work; "Tight Walk," about universal love, such as the love for family, teachers and friends, and "Girl Friend," about losing a girl because he was self-centered and working to become a better person.

Originally from West Palm Beach, Prince said his dream of playing basketball in college was dashed when he was not allowed to play at Santa Fe Community College.

"I was crushed," said Prince. "Thank goodness, I had self-respect and good grades, so that I could go to the University of Florida. I worked hard and got the good grades." Prince holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management and business from UF.

Prince had all kinds of advice for the students.

"If you are good in sports, good, do it," said Prince, "but study hard because school really helps you. Reading helps you learn to speak, and it helps you to present yourself."

"My mom said I could sing since I was little," continued Prince. "She said I hummed as a baby. So, after I finished school and I was 24-25 (years old), I decided to follow my dream to make music."

Said Prince, "Everyone has a gift, and I want to encourage you to stay in school."

He also talked about self-esteem and warned that students in middle school can be insensitive and hurtful.

"Junior high school kids sometimes like to make fun of other people," said Prince. "They make fun of things like your weight, your shoes. They do not have self-respect. You have to love yourself. To do anything, you have to love yourself."

He asked for a show of hands of honor roll students. Many hands went up, but he singled out two fourth-grade students, Reggie Maxwell and Travasia Smith, to ask how they succeeded in accomplishing that feat.

When asked how they did it, Reggie said, "I do my homework and I do well in school. My parents make me."

Travasia said, "I do my homework every night and I read 20 minutes every night."

"They did something extra that everyone can do." Prince said. "You'd be surprised how far a book can take you. But you have to persevere and keep on keeping on."

The students responded with a lot of enthusiasm to both his music and his words. So much so, that although it was time to go end the school day, the students asked Prince for another song.

"He is really good," said fifth-grader Alsuwan Burnett. "I'm glad he came to our school."

In an interview after the program, Prince said the children's enthusiasm inspired him to continue his motivational tours.

"It was awesome," said Prince. "They were into it and I was able to infiltrate their little souls with the right stuff."
- The Gainesville Sun

Prince Performs For Coyotes
Gainesville area resident and singer Trevis Prince recently performed for the students at Kanapaha on the first day of the school’s second semester.




Prince spoke to the students about setting goals and starting fresh in the new year. He also asked several students to come to the stage to speak about what their goals were for the second half of the school year. Among the goals set by the students were getting straight “A” grades and listening to their teachers.




The day also was celebrated as “Mismatch” day at the school. Students’ outfits clashed as they mixed and matched clothing and accessories. Several of the students colored their hair pink or green or sported wacky hairstyles.




Prince performed two of his original tunes, including “Tight Work” and “Tryin’ 2 Shine.” He even helped lead a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for one of Kanapaha’s sixth graders.
- The Suburban Chronicle