Lee England Jr. was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois, the home of Jack Benny, to parents Sylvia and Lee England Sr. He was first exposed to the violin at the age of 6 during a class demonstration of stringed instruments. As England continued to practice, his initial reluctance to practice was overcome by a passion for learning and growing as a musician. In 2008, he furthered his studies by attending Southern Illinois University, where he earned three separate music degrees: a BA in Violin Performance, a BS in Music Education, and a BS in Audio Engineering. After graduating, he began teaching violin to elementary students in the Chicago Public Schools system. He quickly realized, however, that he wouldn’t be able to inspire children to pursue their dreams if hadn’t ever tried himself. At the age of 25, England left his teaching position in order to pursue a performance career in music. You can visit his website here, and what his TEDx presentation.