We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devereaux Stone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devereaux below.

Hi Devereaux, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I absolutely wish I’d realized my “calling” a lot sooner. I know everything happens for a reason, so I don’t give thoughts of regret too much power, but I do have them every now & then. I’m just glad DRILL waited for me to take my place! Drill is all I’ve ever done. I moved to Austin in 2011 for a job at Travis High School after being the top performer in my hometown (Buffalo, NY) for many years. When I arrived I had my heart set on other things. Even with my dream job & an abundance of opportunities before me, I was focused on musical artistry, believe it or not.
During this time, we received so much attention and acknowledgement for our work in the community. Requests for our skill set on several Austin campuses started to roll in more frequently. This was literally a hobby that I did on the side, so I was amazed, to say the least.
My creative director & business partner, Kalvin Austin, encouraged me to primarily focus on “drill”. He opened my eyes to this being my superpower. I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this on my own. Drill is what I’ve always been known for, Drill is what afforded me the opportunity to relocate. Drill is the thing I’ve always done best. How did I not know?
I think it has to do with the fact that
there was no template/designated path for being a “professional driller”. I never thought to try because it didn’t seem realistic.
The funny thing is, I still feel this way. I just look at it as an advantage now. The fact that I’m the first means the lane is wide open. It means there’s no competition. I can stand alone, & more importantly, stand out.
We built House of Devereaux Stone as the FIRST dance company dedicated to the Art of Drill, & since have grown significantly with a focus on campus programming locally in Austin, TX as well as Buffalo, NY, while building awareness with performance exhibits at events throughout the country.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Devereaux Stone, an unstoppable creative, and undeniable performer with an unusual & unconventional talent. I started performing under the discipline of Drill in the 7th grade. Most people who know me personally aren’t at all surprised by my path, which should say a lot about how befitting this choice was. I chose Drill as a hobby, it chose me as a career.
I began this journey in Buffalo, NY as a figurehead in the local Drill Team community. In 2016, after relocating & being involved in the ACE Afterschool Program for a number of years, my business partner Kalvin Austin & I started House of Devereaux Stone.
We provide clients, audiences & crowds with a one-of-a-kind experience that no one can duplicate. We provide students, members, & performers with the training/exclusive inside knowledge on how to deliver on a heightened performance level.
We offer our services by partnering with AISD Afterschool Programs. We also offer school-day electives to give more access and opportunities to more kids who want to learn. Our goal is to grow this component into a credit bearing course at the academic level. This provides an alternate way to navigate academia through unforseen routes. The way our students, teachers, parents and admin all respond positively to the effect we’ve witnessed is phenomenal.
The mission with these partnerships is to grow the Art of Drill into a more widely accepted sport & outlet for children to reach more opportunities through Art.
What I’m most proud of is our impact.
This Art form wasn’t a part of Austin Culture before Us. We don’t take that lightly. We have established quite a presence here in Austin & in other cities as well through the Art of Drill. We’ve been able to be apart of immense situations due to the quality of presentation we provide.
What sets us apart from others is that no one does what we do. I’m glad to say that we are the first company to take Drill to the places we’ve taken it & we’re just getting started. This is the warmup. Drill is Buffalo’s best kept secret. It deserves more. I want Drill on stage with Beyoncé. It’s time.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I often talk about how I started my journey in Buffalo, before coming here, & I don’t really talk about the details that got me here. Yes, I got an opportunity to relocate at the right time, but that’s just half the story. I got the offer to come to Austin a year before I accepted it…

I quickly rose to popularity in the Drill community of Buffalo, NY & for a long time it seemed I could do no wrong. I was captain of the most decorated independent team in town, I founded the leading team in the high school division, & was the advisor of the best team in the Jr. division. I was dominating.

In true Devereaux Stone fashion, I decided to continue the expansion to creating my own independent team. This created much more animosity than I expected. Everyone wanted to be on my team.

I was still the crowd favorite, but now I started to feel targeted by the competition admin & judges. It became clear that my success was starting to be a problem. I had the game in a chokehold.

We ended up getting cheated really bad this year. Moral of the story: don’t overstay your welcome. know when it’s your time & know when it’s time to go.

Luckily, the job I had been offered the previous year was still open. I could say more, but I think I needed that to happen. At the end of the day, I was working for free and that HAD to change. Had I stayed on top, I may have never left. Look at me now.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most important part of doing what I do is the fact that my creations can depict the times. It does this in a few ways. By, mirroring the times we live in. That’s an artists duty. By becoming a part of someones memory in a way that let’s the artist be how they remember a certain feeling, or time in life. Lastly, my art allows me to touch young lives every single day. I become a part of the stories of my students & members in ways I’ve never imagined. That’s a huge reward.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/drillGAWD
• Instagram: instagram.com/drillGAWD
• Facebook: facebook.com/TheDrillChannel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devereauxstone
• Twitter: twitter.com/drillGAWD
• Youtube: youtube.com/@drillGAWD

Image Credits
Devereaux Stone (drillGAWD) Tika Cook (Tika Creations) Johnny Underwood (Tone Def Visuals)