NATCHEZ — William Ross, 19, has no intention of letting his talent get lost in the weeds.

When The Dart fell this week on the corner of Edgewood Road and Crestwood Drive, Ross was out raking the leaves to pick up a little extra money to fund his true passion — music.

Known as “Lil Ross” to his friends and fans, the Natchez native sings, raps and plays the violin.

Ross learned the violin through an orchestra program at Natchez High School, where he graduated in 2014. He incorporates the classical sound of the instrument into his modern rhythm and blues musical style.

Ross’ love of music really took off in high school.

“My teacher noticed I was dedicated, so he sent me to these different camps,” Ross said. “I was in a room with this little guy who was about 8 years old … he spoke Spanish and I spoke English, but we played the same music, and we could understand each other through the notes. That was inspirational.”

Ross has a Facebook page he uses to share his music videos. He recently released a rhythm and blues album titled “Lavish Love,” that he created in his home studio.

The equipment in his studio is the result of his hard work and savings, Ross said. He often rakes leaves to pick up extra money to invest in his music.

Ross is a sophomore at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus where he studies business administration. He hopes to make it as a professional musician, but knows he can fall back onto his business degree if necessary.

He also works at The Castle Restaurant, where he busses tables and sometimes even plays the violin.

“They just recently found out I play the violin,” Ross said. “So I play every once in a while. For someone’s anniversary, I’ll play a little hymn for them.”