Bul.ly.in.g has plagued this 21-year-old from a young age, and school has consistently felt like a battleground. Music became his shelter, a means of escape from the torture, and he put his heart and soul into his saxophone, thinking it would lift him out of the abyss.

But life wasn’t done testing him—his neighbors couldn’t bear the sound of his practice, and the cops turned up several times to put an end to his aspirations. However, he refused to back down. He fought through every difficulty, desperate to have his music heard. He’s finally realizing his goal, standing on America’s Got Talent’s renowned stage with a sax in hand. The judges stand up, the audience dances, and he performs with a fervor that shouts, “I made it.”

Sometimes we simply need something to help us get through life; this boy used the saxophone to cope with school harassment. His saxophone is now helping him achieve heights he never imagined possible.

Avery Dixon, 21, of Atlanta, relates a tale of how, like many other children, he struggled in school because of his differences. So he turned to music and began learning the saxophone. A quote from Simon Cowell: “You decided to take something to take your mind away from all those horrible people, and it was the saxophone.”

But some of Avery’s problems persisted right up until the audition. While he was training for the concert, neighbors in his apartment complex reported him to the police for creating too much noise!

When Avery starts playing, it’s clear that all of his struggle has honed him into an exceptional saxophone player. And as he climbs to the song’s conclusion, judges and audience members dance in the aisles. It’s apparent that some of his problems will be resolved following this audition!

Watch the video below and let us know what you think of Avery’s abilities.