From Chicago to Kingston: The Violinist Who Chose Jamaica Over Carnegie Hall

Babes, how did you get here · Jun 30, 2026 · 51m · transcript

A classically trained violinist from Chicago marries a Jamaican man.

She visits the island in 1992 expecting sunshine and opportunity.

Instead, she gets a Devon House ice cream lady who snaps at her,

a healthcare system that airlifts her newborn to Florida,

and a school system that manipulates her son's math scores

to keep the local elite on top.

She stays anyway.

Not because Jamaica was easy, but because her husband came alive here.

And because she realized she could teach violin at a world class standard

anywhere in the world, even from a classroom in Kingston.

\n\nDr. Lisa Walker is a…