RICHMOND, Va. -- The Grammy buzz at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School was rather concentrated on one person Monday morning: recording artist and graduate Lucy Dacus.
Dacus and the indie rock supergroup boygenius won three Grammy awards Sunday night: Best Rock Performance "Not Strong Enough," Best Rock Song "Not Strong Enough," and Best Alternative Music Album for "The Record."
For those who taught her or went to school with her at Maggie Walker, the excitement for Dacus was evident.
“Pure joy! Just happiness for her," said Jeff Hall, an art teacher at Maggie Walker.
"I was just thrilled she was getting the recognition because her work is just excellent," said Georgianne Stinnett, who teaches photography at Maggie Walker.
“Saw the Maggie Walker alumni page post the picture of her running up to get the Grammy. I was just like, ‘No, way this is amazing!”’ said Matthew Ruskan, who teaches there now but graduated in the same class as Dacus. "I was there one of the first times she started singing in the stairwells here at Maggie Walker, and there was that moment she with her guitar and started singing, you were like, oh there’s something here that’s different.”
Michael White was one of Dacus' teachers and serves as the school's yearbook adviser. Looking back through the 2013 version when Dacus graduated, he had to chuckle about one piece of information.
"I was surprised to see she did not win most musical or most likely to be famous," White said with a grin.
He was not surprised to see the success Dacus has achieved — both with boygenius and her solo career.
White said she was a perceptive, thoughtful student, a trait he sees in her music and lyrics.
"She wouldn’t just do things by wrought, she would always come at it from a different angle. She never took things too seriously in a healthy way," he said. "I think it's wonderful she is able to create original art that resonates with a lot of people."
Stinnett said the halls of the school were filled with excitement Monday, "everyone is like, did you see Lucy? Did you see Lucy!” She said Dacus, in her work, is able to capture both the raw emotion of the world and the tenderness that simultaneously exists.
“I saw she was very creative and good at expressing complicated emotional states visually," Stinnett said about her work in photography class.
Hall, her art teacher, said he words from Dacus' Grammy acceptance speech stuck with him.
"From her speech: we’re all slightly delusional to think we could have ever ended up here. I think pursuing art and music you have to have that belief and a little delusion to be like this actually could work out, and I could actually be successful in this. It was like she was speaking to all my students," Hall said.
The school is clearly proud too. Their announcement board on Monday flashed "Congratulations MLWGS Alum Lucy Dacus!" With her fame and reach clearly set to continue its upward trajectory, CBS 6 asked those who knew Dacus back in the day to pass along a little message, if she happened to see this local tv story.
"I’m just really thrilled you’re living the dream and expressing things that move people," Stinnett said.
"We’re so proud of you, and you’re an inspiration to everyone here, both at Maggie Walker and high schools everywhere, that there are so many paths available to them to embrace what they love," Ruskan said.
"Just keep following your artistic vision wherever it takes you. If you do another album with boygenius, that would be wonderful, and if not, you're going to do something else original and creative and expressive. I can't wait to see what comes next," White said.
"For all the delusional and slightly delusional musicians and artists out there you’re an inspiration to us all," Hall said. "I anticipate tremendous success not just in music, but many facets of her life. Keep chasing your dreams."
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