Help Penn Get A Tuba For College

I want to major in music to continue pursuing perfection in what I love. Passion is not loving every minute you practice. I am ready for college in this fall, but I do not own my own tuba and that is why I created this fundraiser. My family is doing everything they can to help me but professional tubas are not inexpensive - they can cost anywhere from eight to eighteen thousand dollars.

I have played five years with ensembles of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, America's first youth orchestra. This is my second year as principal tuba with another symphony, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. I also play brass instruments with a variety of my school’s music ensembles. I studied conducting in China and conducted the Luoyang Orphanage Symphony Orchestra for two seasons, including a 2009 tour of Chinese cities. I also studied a Chinese string instrument, the erhu, for two years, beginning at age ten. I still play erhu, including with a jazz ensemble. I have studied tuba and euphonium for two years with JáTtik Clark, Principal Tuba of the Oregon Symphony, and euphonium with Andy Harris.

I dislike waking up at six each school morning for "zero" (early) period jazz band and ending the day with four to five hours of rehearsal with youth orchestras. Yet my desire to try even harder, and to accomplish even more, grows. Passion, I learned, is wanting so intensely to achieve something that, in striving to do it, you discover a truth about yourself that could not be found elsewhere. That is passion, and passion is what music gives me. My life will always be built around music. Music has given me a desire to live and to succeed, even in the most difficult times.

Performance Experience:

Euphonium, Portland Youth Wind Ensemble (2010-2015)
Tuba, Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra (2014-)
Tuba & Bass Trombone, Metropolitan Youth Symphony (2013-)
Euphonium,  Symphonic Band of Metropolitan Youth Symphony (2013-2014)
Euphonium, Tuba & Trombone, Lincoln High School Jazz Big Band/ Concert Band / Marching Band
Lincoln High School Cardinal Choir
Trombone, The American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra 2012-2013
Euphonium, Oregon All State Symphonic Band 2014
Euphonium, Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corp 2015
Tuba, University of Oregon Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble 2015-16
Tuba, University of Oregon Symphonic Band 2015-16
Trombone, University of Oregon Jazz II 2015-16
Tuba, University of Oregon Marching Band 2015-2016
Tuba, University of Oregon Basketball Band 2016

Principal Tuba with the following groups:
Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra 2013-2015
Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra 2014

Honors/Awards:

3rd place on euphonium at Oregon 2015 state solo competition
4th place on euphonium at Oregon 2014 state solo competition
Top 10 player on euphonium Oregon state solo competition (2012-2014 )  
Top 10 player on tuba at Oregon 2013 state solo competition
2nd place at 2013 Next Generation Jazz Festival & Monterey Jazz Festival 2013 with The American Music Program
2nd place on euphonium at Portland district solo competition 2011
2nd place on euphonium at Portland district solo competition 2012
1st place on euphonium & 2nd place on tuba at Portland district solo competition 2013
1st place on euphonium at Portland district solo competition 2014
Lincoln High School 2012-2013 Most Prestigious Musical Award


Any and all help is greatly appreciated, your donations are going towards a great cause and I will forever be thankful to all who help me. Thank you!